Always a Ranger - Part 8
Home is Where the Hart is
By Jeannine Trevizo
I can’t begin to describe how restless I am as I
stand at the edge of the metal and fabric barricade dividing the gate area with
the central part of the waiting area at Surfside airport. With the new policies
about security screening, I can’t wait at the gate like the old days. There was
a moment, okay, a few minutes, where I contemplated using my invisibility to
just walk up there. But habits die hard, and using my powers to get a little
closer to the gate isn’t a good excuse to break the rules of having power.
So I continue to wait and stare and feel nervous as
hell. Still, there are some things you’re willing to put up with for the sake
of love and romance.
Yeah, I’m waiting for Kim. Finally… unfortunately
it’s not for good though.
We had a long talk after she got back from D.C. I
told her about my recent ranger events and relayed Jase’s comments about us.
She reported that the team had done well with the press events, and that the
coaches and athletes were being given a three-day weekend, coinciding with the
end of spring break.
The words were out of my mouth before the thought
even registered in my head.
“Then get on a plane and come out here for the
weekend.”
Kim, in her infinite wisdom complained that she
didn’t know if she could afford it. I offered to pay. And no, I am not
independently wealthy now. By teaching high school, almost all of my student
loans have been waived, so I took out a small loan to float the cost of the
ticket. Besides, I couldn’t wait to see her any longer.
After another half hour of discussion, including
what the weather in Reefside was like, I finally convinced her to come out for
the weekend. I called up the local travel agency with the times and locations
Kim had given me, and got her booked on the first flight into Surfside Regional
Airport and the last flight back that she could reasonably take and get to work
Monday morning. They FedExed the ticket to the training camp, and she e-mailed
me when she got them.
That was three days ago, and now, I’m standing here,
waiting for her to get off the plane and come down to the mass waiting area on
the other side of the security gates.
Its really ironic, don’t you think, that after
nearly eight years I’m finally picking my girl up from the airport after
putting her on a plane for the other side of the country.
I glance at my watch and tap my hiking boot clad
foot a bit. The plane should have landed ten minutes ago. Where was she? I tug
self-consciously at my clothes – black jeans & t-shirt and my old brown
leather bomber jacket. My hand follows that path to my hair, and then slides down
to the slight beard I’m sort of cultivating for that older, yet hip teacher
look. I don’t think I had it last time we saw each other. I hope she doesn’t
mind.
My mind is lost in thought of having her complain
about it, and my willingly shaving it off, changing my clothes and selling
everything I own to please her when I hear a loud shout from a voice I
recognize better than my own.
“Tommy!”
The next moment I’m trying to keep my balance as 105
pounds of Kimberly fly from the walkway coming from the gates and straight into
my arms. Not that I’m complaining, but I really wasn’t expecting such an
enthusiastic reception. Okay, I was hoping, but I didn’t expect it.
“Hey Beautiful,” I reply, and then decide to hell
with it, I need this, and pull her into me and kiss her passionately, still
standing in the middle of the walkway, people having to go around us as we get
lost in each other after so long.
Air deprivation is the only reason I break the kiss,
and I refuse to let her out of my grasp. Of course, I notice she’s not trying
to get away either. I look down on that lovely face, the smile and those eyes,
and I have to remind myself to keep breathing.
She’s here.
“Hi handsome. Miss me?” she asks in that sultry tone
I’ve been hearing a lot more of these days, and I feel my jeans get a bit
tighter as I carefully lower her feet to the ground. This is not the place to
ravish her. I have a perfectly good bedroom at home for that.
“More than you could possibly imagine,” I reply
softly, pulling a hand from its place on her back to frame her cheek. “So,
where’s your luggage? Or did you decide that you didn’t need clothes on this
trip?”
I leer at her, and she takes one of her hands that
had been locked behind my neck to smack me good upside the head. Okay, I deserved
that. But damn, am I hoping that she didn’t pack…
“I had to check it. The new size restrictions and
all.”
“You’re here for two days Kim. What did you pack
that had to be checked?”
“Hey, I’m a woman! Did you expect me to come with
one shirt, a pair of jeans and a dress and be done with it?” she mock argues.
We laugh at that, and I feel my heart start to beat
a bit faster. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that I was starved for
Kimberly contact. But we’ve been talking almost every other day so it can’t be
that. However, the fact that she’s here now, in my arms like she belongs seems
to be a real powerful reason for my heart to be pounding in my chest.
“Fine. You packed like a girl, now we have to take
the time to get your bag from the carousel. I hope you’re happy.”
She snuggles into my side, a perfect fit as always
and grins.
“Yes, I’m happy.”
I don’t miss the subtext of her words. “Me too.”
With that, we’re off to the baggage area, my arm
tightly plastered to her body as she keeps herself tucked against me. Somehow
we make our way without tripping over anyone or anything, get her bag and get
out of the airport. I toss her bag in the back of the jeep, and open her door
for her. Once we’re both in, I’m on the road and on the way to the house. The
early evening air whips at Kim’s brown hair, and I grip the steering wheel
tighter to keep from reaching over and running my fingers through it.
Just get her in the house, and then you can ask if
you can worship her as you peel off each stitch of clothing she has on.
Of course, that plan gets complicated as Kim reaches
over and puts her hand on my knee. I barely stop from jerking the wheel at the
shock of her touch. Somehow though, I keep the course and pull into the drive
with a screech of the tires. Reaching behind me, I grab Kim’s bag and clamor
out of the jeep. Kim doesn’t wait for me this time, and is out and next to me
before I can move more than two steps around the front of the car.
“The pictures made it look bigger,” she says,
nodding towards the house.
“Its charm is only outweighed by its undersized
water heater.”
“I guess we’ll have to shower together to make sure
we both get hot water then.”
Okay, that’s it. I can’t wait any longer. I grab
Kim’s hand, haul her along with me, dropping her bag at the door as I fight
left-handed to open the door. As it swings open, I shove her bag inside with my
foot, pull her inside, slam the door shut and then push her against it, my
mouth on hers in seconds.
I realize I’m being caveman-like, but damn, I can’t
believe that she’s here, finally, and that there’s a long-term future in the
picture after all these years. I know I’m probably assuming a lot, and should
have been a little more polite about this, but the way that Kim just hooked her
legs around me, and is pulling my head down to her forcefully tells me that
we’re on the same wavelength here.
My hands move from their previous positions and I
lift Kim slightly up the door, her ass in my hands, and her feet settle beneath
my butt. Wrenching one hand away as I secure her to the door with my weight, I
reach up to caress her face, then work my way to her cotton covered shoulder,
then down to the curve of her breast as I think about every make out session
that got interrupted during our high school days by putties or monsters or
something else equally nasty. I can only hope that Mesogog doesn’t decided to
reestablish that tradition.
A moan in my mouth focuses me back on Kim’s
immediate reaction to my hand’s new location, and I realize that we’re going to
finally make love. We never had the courage to do it back in high school,
weren’t ready to move that direction after we got back in contact after Trini’s
funeral, and never had the opportunity to consummate our relationship during
our last meeting when we admitted that we still loved each other. Our timing
has always been wrong.
But is it still wrong?
I pull back suddenly, and Kimberly opens her eyes
and stares at me questioningly. God, I have *never* seen the look in her eyes
that I see there now. Now I really don’t want to ask this…
“Are you sure about this Beautiful?” I ask in a
barely controlled lust-filled voice, carefully lowering her to the floor and
releasing her as every cell in my body screams at me to stop being stupid and
take her now. “I mean, this is only for the weekend, until you make a decision
if you want to make a life out here, with me and all…”
Kim shuts me up with a heated kiss that has my head
spinning. Her hands reach down to find mine, and she pulls them back around her
waist.
“I love you Tommy Oliver. When everything gets
settled, we’ll be together. So let’s start the new phase of our relationship
tonight… I think we’ve waited long enough,” she intoned, smiling that megawatt
grin at me that always melted my heart.
With Kim’s blessing, I pull her along with me as I
back up towards my bedroom.
------
I woke to the smell of eggs and bacon.
Rolling over, I jolted as I realized I was alone.
But the sounds coming from the kitchen told me I wasn’t truly alone. Scrounging
around the pile of *our* clothes that still clutter the floor, I throw on my
underwear and jeans and pad out to see what my Hart is up to.
Funny but after her being here for less than a day,
this house feels more like my home than it ever has. Of course you know what
they say – home is where the Hart is. I smile as I stand at the doorframe and
find Kim cooking at the stove, her hands moving from one pan to another, her
head turning every once in a while towards the toaster. As I quietly make my
way into the kitchen, the toast pops up, and I decide she needs some help.
Just before she grabs it, I reach out and catch her
by the waist. She jumps slightly, and turns with spatula in hand. I find that
smile on her face again, and can’t help but return it.
“You ditched me,” I whine as I lean down to kiss her
lightly. “I thought I’d been dreaming.”
“I couldn’t sleep. It’s nearly noon my time,” she
replies, kissing me back, but her kiss is deeper, and I have to fight the
desire to make her my breakfast rather than eat all this food she’s made.
“I don’t remember stocking all this.”
“You must have planned having breakfast in bed this
weekend. Not that I’m complaining.”
I shrug. I guess my memory still can be Swiss cheese
sometimes, especially when it was preoccupied with getting *Kimberly* into said
bed.
With that, Kim pulled my arms loose, and guided me
to a chair as she went back to the stove. The next thing I knew, a plate filled
with food sat before me. Eggs and bacon, the way I like them, and toast with
jam.
She was going to spoil me.
From there, the rest of the day went by in a blur.
After breakfast, we got cleaned up – saving hot water of course, and got
dressed for a day out. We drove down to the beach, walked and hit the water. It
was like old times, except we were so much closer than we’d ever been before.
That evening, we had dinner in. I really didn’t want to go out and share her
with a bunch of people in some noisy restaurant. So I ordered in Chinese, we
sat on the floor with the boxes spread out around us, ate and watched Jeopardy.
I can’t remember when I last felt this content.
After I made a mess of myself… chopsticks are not
easy to eat with, no matter what some people say, Kim and I cleaned up and
settled in on the couch for a quiet evening alone. She turned to look up at me,
I looked down on her, and the next thing we knew, lips were locked, hands were
roaming, and we somehow ended back in my bedroom.
We did our level best to destroy the bed – sheets
and pillows went flying and we ended up moving the bed in our *ahem* enthusiasm
about a foot from the wall. Not that either of us complained. Spent and happy,
we tugged the blanket over us and curled up to fall asleep, my arms wrapped
around my best friend, lover and one true love.
Saturday morning I was determined to do the cooking,
so I had set the alarm clock so I could serve Kim breakfast in bed. Luckily for
me, I slammed the thing off just before it went off, allowing Kim to simply
roll over and continue to sleep as I tossed on my sweats and a t-shirt so I
could not burn myself as I attempted to make us some food.
It wasn’t as early as it could have been, and my
food making skills are a bit lacking, but I was able to make acceptable
pancakes with syrup and some more bacon and eggs. Using a cookie sheet for a
tray to cart in the food, I carefully made my way into the bedroom and set our
breakfast on the end table. Snuggled under the blanket, I watched Kim sleep on.
I must have tired her out…
Staring at her, I couldn’t help the wave of emotion
that washed over me. We were finally together… in every way possible. She was
sharing my, *our* bed, we were spending our days and nights together doing just
normal things and there weren’t any curfews or parents to tell us we were too
young to really be in love.
The only hard part was going to be letting her get
on that plane tomorrow morning.
But even with that fact, I was sure that Kim was
only leaving for a little while. I still had plenty of time between her leaving
for the games and when she’d be ready to make a decision, a commitment to our
relationship. Even if this had only been a short, wonderful interlude to be
followed by more months alone, I could bear it because I had this moment in
time to keep me going until we could really live like this day in and day out.
The smell of bacon makes my stomach growl, and I
decided it’s time for slumbering ex-rangers to wake up. With a gentle caress, I
run a finger along her cheek, and her eyes slowly slide open. A second later, a
sleepy smile greets me as she shoves the covers away slightly.
“Morning,” she says, running a hand through her
tousled hair somewhat self-consciously.
“How’d you sleep Beautiful?”
“Too good. I don’t know how I’m going to fall asleep
without you anymore.”
My heart seems to have found its way to my throat,
and I swallow hard. I decide humor is the best way to go to cover my out of
control emotions.
“You’re just going to miss having a big bed,” I
reply, brushing my hand along her face again. “And being served breakfast in
bed.”
She smiles and reaches behind her to shove the
pillow up against the headboard. I scoot a bit farther onto the bed with her
and place the tray between us. Her eyes light up as she sees my attempt at her
favorite breakfast food.
“Pancakes!” she says happily. “Are they edible?”
“Hey! I can cook some stuff. I tested one before I
came in. It was good.”
That statement gets me a look that says she’s not
sure if she believes me, but reaches for a fork anyway. I poured enough syrup
on the stack before I came in to be just under obscene, and as she puts a
sticky bite full in her mouth, I think naughty thoughts about Kim covered in
said syrup…
“Mmm, it’s yummy,” she mumbles around a mouthful as
she chews.
I take that as a good sign, and start to join in. We
eat until the plates are mostly clean, occasionally feeding the other. This is
bar none, one of the most erotic experiences of my life, and I can’t wait until
I can do this with her on a regular basis.
Once finished, I turn and dump the dishes in the sink and hit the shower
alone, while Kim fusses over her wardrobe. She didn’t pack a huge suitcase, and
I think that she’s regretting not having more choices of things to wear.
I guess some things never change.
After a shower and some clean clothes, I waited for Kim
to finish up. Figuring I had plenty of time, I went down to the ‘command
center’, and checked on any new activities. I’m just calling up the area around
where the rangers had found the original crystals on the monitor when a pair of
arms circle my neck.
“Do I have to drag you away from duty, or are you
going to come quietly?”
Smiling, I turn in the chair to find Kimberly
smiling at me, all decked out in a pink sundress, reminiscent of our days in
Angel Grove. Luckily it was a bit longer and less see-thru than what she would
have worn in the day. Of course, she usually had a leotard underneath, but
still…
“If the reward is being with you, I’ll gladly come
quietly. Even if you don’t,” I smirk, hinting on the previous night’s
activities in what I now consider to be *our* bed.
“Don’t get too smug Mr. Oliver. I seem to remember
someone begging last night, and it wasn’t me.”
The next thing I knew my face was feeling as red as
my old uniform. Damn… that was just not fair.
“Okay, truce,” I said, pulling her closer to me,
nearly making her sit on my knees. “What do we do today?”
“Well, you’ve been bragging on Reefside being a nice
place to live, trying to tempt me into moving here, so how about a walking tour
of downtown. I promise not to spend all your money.”
I laugh and stand her up as I turn to shut
everything down. Behind me, I note that she’s looking over some of the gadgets
that Hayley’s been working on and I wonder if she is curious or if she misses
it. Instead of asking, I just get up and come over to rest my hands on her
shoulders. She turns and I smile at the sight of her.
“Let’s go.”
It doesn’t take long to get from the house to the
main downtown area. I drive us there in less than fifteen minutes, intent on
showing Kim the sights, such are they are. I park the jeep at the end of the
street and jump out to get her door.
Walking hand in hand, we pass shop after shop. I
guess time has dulled the shopaholic in her, and Kim only drags me in a few
places, when it would have been almost every one. We’re just turning the corner
towards the cybercafé when the wind picks up and the sound of thunder cracks
through the air.
Not now, I think helplessly.
Kim and I both look up to see the black and green
portal start to form above us, lightning crackling from its center. Before we
can move, the space opens up and Tyrano-drones drop from the portal overhead. I
fight panic for a moment as ten, maybe twelve Tyrano-drones huddle before Kim
and I, and I drop into fighting stance instinctively.
“Kim, get the hell out of here!” I shout, hoping I
can keep them busy while she gets clear.
“No way!” she yells back, coming up next to me,
slipping into a battle ready position in the spot that has always rightly been
hers. “I’ve kicked bad guy ass for years. Just because I’ve been out of the
game for a while, don’t think I can’t handle myself now.”
Angry yet secretly pleased, I vow to make sure that
we both get out of this in one piece, and brace myself for the attack.
Suddenly, I hear three additional voices from behind us.
“Looks like they’ve got you outnumbered. Need some
help?” says Conner, coming up along my left side.
“Yeah, that’s just not fair. You’d think they’d have
something better to do on a Saturday afternoon,” comments Ethan, at Conner’s
right.
“Obviously, they don’t know when two is company and
a crowd isn’t welcome,” quips Kira, who I notice has arrived next to Kimberly.
The two share a look, and I think again of how similar they are, even with so
many teams and years separating them.
That’s the last of those thoughts as the first of
the Tyrano-drones surges forward and attacks me straight on. I block, then
throw a chop at the closest one’s neck, then spin into a back kick then come
back to center. I break my focus for a second to see Kimberly do a back flip,
her feet catching the Tyrano-drone flying backwards, and she lands, twists, and
comes up to block a lunge by another Tyrano-drone.
Inwardly I smile. I guess once a ranger, always a
ranger is true for all of us, not just me.
Around me, I note Kira, Conner and Ethan holding
their own, taking the fight to the enemy. Conner and Ethan are really getting
the hang of this. I see Ethan block one attack, and then use his ‘armor’ to
bash another attacker. Conner zips past one enemy, punches another, then gets
out of the way so fast that the fist meant for him hits a Tyrano-drone square
in the face. I start to take on the renewed advance on my position, when I hear
a pun from a familiar voice.
“Eat fist spike face.”
I see Kim surrounded by at least three of them.
Quickly I decide that I need to get over there, even if I might bruise her
ex-ranger ego with a rescue.
With a bit of concentration, I disappear from sight,
the Tyrano-drones that were attacking me stop dead in their tracks, confused. I
weave carefully through the fighting to arrive just as a blow starts to come
towards Kim from behind. She starts to try and twist to avoid it when I
rematerialize and block the blow.
“Need some help?” I ask in my best leader voice.
With a shove, I fling the Tyrano-drone away, knocking one of his pals with him.
“Nice trick,” she comments, backhanding the nearest
bad guy to her. “Must come in handy at surprise parties.”
I laugh, and launch into an attack on two that are
heading our way, left over from my disappearing act. Kim’s covers my back, just
like in the old days. I speed out, and whirl into a sweep kick, bringing the
advancing two to the ground, then spring up and catch a third with a snap kick
to the chest, sending him sprawling.
I turn to see Kira let loose with a pterodactyl
scream, sending the Tyrano-drones into spasms. Kim, the team and I nearly
buckle under the sound too, but either we’re used to it a bit more or since Kim
didn’t go down with the Tyrano-drones, maybe as rangers we have better immunity
to ranger powers. I’m not sure, but it’s enough to turn the tide and they start
a retreat.
Then I feel the air start to feel heavy again, and
the portal opens again, with the defeated Tyrano-drones making for it as fast
as their feet can carry them. We make a point of beating the shit out of them
until the last one is running in fear from us.
“You still know how to show a girl a good time,” Kim
quips as the last of the Tyrano-drones escapes the way they showed up, the
portal closing and the sky turning blue again.
“What can I say, I always was big on the cheap
entertainment,” I fire back, and happily take her hand in mine, refraining from
pulling her to me and kissing her in front of Ethan, Kira and Conner.
“So, what’s up Dr. O? You’re letting civilians fight
the bad guys now?” Ethan asks, having missed Kim and my bantering and without
really looking at Kim.
I look at him like he’s stupid, and he looks at her
along with the others. I know Kim hasn’t changed that much, so I stand there
and wait as they take a good, long look and process who she is. My bright
students don’t take long.
“Oh my god!” Ethan shouts, realizing who the
‘civilian’ real is. “You’re Kimberly!”
“Oh please, like you didn’t realize that until just
now?” complains Kira, smirking at her predecessor. “The way she kicked
Tyrano-drone butt? That was old school ranger, all the way.”
“So are you here to see Dr. O for the weekend, or
are you here for good?” asks Conner.
Her eyes fly to mine, and I hate the look I see
there. She so wishes she could say that she was here permanently, but she
can’t. I know Beautiful, I wish you could stay now too.
“No, just the weekend,” Kim answers finally focusing
on the rangers again. “The team got some time off, and Tommy asked if I would
come out for a few days.”
“This is so cool!” Ethan gushed, hurrying over to
offer his hand to Kim. She lets go of mine to shake his. “I’m Ethan. We spoke
on the phone. I’m glad to finally meet you.”
“He is a Zack/Billy combination, isn’t he?” Kim
shoots my way, and I wince a bit. The team didn’t know I was comparing them to
*our* team, and I don’t know how they’d take that.
“I guess that your visit wouldn’t have been complete
without being greeted by the welcoming committee,” Conner states as he comes up
to stand by Ethan.
“You must be Conner,” Kim notes, taking his hand and
smiling. “What can I say, even us ex-rangers have a habit of running into
trouble. Besides, it’s not like you guys don’t have the bad guys drop in on you
whenever they like.”
I notice the team is truly entranced, and I remember
that Kim seemed to always have that way with people. Making them like being
around her. Seems some things never change. Including this.
“And you’re Kira,” Kim states as she stares at the
girl that wears a version of her uniform in Trini’s color. I recognize the
smile she gives Kira. It’s tinged by memory and not all of it good.
“I have so many things I want to ask you,” Kira
says, bringing Kim’s attention back to her and out of whatever memory she’d
fallen into.
“How about we walk over to the cybercafé and grab
some drinks and sit. This sounds like this may take a while,” I suggest, taking
Kim’s hand again, needing the contact.
The new rangers nod and turn, heading as fast as
their feet can take them. I realize that they’re really looking forward to
getting the dish from Kim. I don’t know if my rep will survive whatever Kim
tells them.
“They’re your students too, right?” Kim asks as we
walk hand in hand slowly to the front of the café. Hayley seems to have the
closed sign up, but I see the others inside already.
“Yeah. Be prepared for the least tactful,
embarrassing questions they could throw at you about us. They are teens,
remember?”
“I work with that age group every day. Besides, what
are you so afraid of? My telling them about the time you were so scared of
asking me out that Zack beat you three straight practice karate rounds?”
“He did what?” Ethan exclaimed from the red velvet
couch that he and Conner had claimed as their own. I hadn’t realized we’d come
through the door already…
“Slight distraction, on account of teenaged
romance,” Kim supplies as she settles into the couch next to Kira, and I perch
on the arm of the sofa.
“Is the place closed?” I ask suddenly, thinking some
delicate topics are on the agenda that we don’t want everybody to hear.
“Hayley was just closing up, so she asked us to lock
up for her,” Kira stated.
I shrug and sigh. I guess Kim will have to meet
Hayley some other time. Its funny, I would have thought she would have stayed a
minute or two longer so she could meet Kim…
“So, you and Dr. O did the dating thing back in AG?”
Kira asks, her face nearly giddy.
“Yes. We dated for about, oh, two years or so…”
“Closer to three,” I interject, and get everyone’s
astonished gaze pointed at me. “Hey, if you’re going to ask the question, you
should get the right answer.”
“And you were a ranger all that time?” Conner
questions, his arm thrown across the back of the sofa.
“I didn’t leave the team until I got offered a once
in a lifetime opportunity in Florida to train for the Pan Global games. The
team convinced me to go, and so I handed my powers to someone else.”
“But Dr. O wasn’t always a ranger during those three
years, was he? I mean, you guys got picked first, then Dr. O,” Ethan queries,
scooting closer to Kim as if to make sure he doesn’t miss any of the juicy
details.
“No, he wasn’t. First chosen were the original five;
me, Jason, Billy, Zack and Trini. Tommy moved to town a few months after we’d
already been rangers, and got turned into the evil green ranger by Rita. After
Jason broke the spell, Tommy worked with us, until he started to lose the green
ranger power. For a while, he wasn’t with us, and then he was able to recharge
the powers for a little while before losing them again the final time.”
“Which lead to the white ranger powers, then red and
now black, right?” Conner said, starting to get the gist of it, what with Kim,
Jason and Dr. O’s own video journal.
“Well, the red ranger powers were mostly after I’d
left,” Kim demurred, and I rested a hand on her shoulder. The reaction she must
have had seeing me in my red Turbo uniform when we rescued her and Jason from
Divatox must have confused the hell out of her, even if we were apart. It meant
that she had missed an evolution of the team, of me that she’d never
understand.
“So you guys split up while she was in Florida. How
did you get back together?” asked Ethan.
I know Kim well enough to feel the tension that
instantly appeared in her shoulders. Just as I’m about to say that it really
doesn’t matter, Kim’s hand shoots up to grab mine, halting my tongue.
“We hadn’t spoken for a long time, when the original
yellow ranger, one of my best friends, Trini Kwan was killed in a car crash. We
were both at the funeral, and afterwards, decided it was time to talk and clear
the air. You know, you remind me a lot of her,” Kim said, looking at Kira. “She
was such a good fighter and tough too. I know she would have liked you.”
“But she didn’t have a pterodactyl zord. You did,”
Kira replied, taking Kim’s free hand.
“True, but I had other zords before I left, so I
didn’t just get stuck with one thing. Like Tommy, we’ve both been through our
fair share of powers and zords.”
“So, you knew Dr. O before he was a teacher and all,
right?” Conner interjected suddenly, breaking the pall that had tried to settle
over the conversation. “Was he always responsible and knowledgeable?”
“What, you mean to say he didn’t tell you that he
had a class project to try and fix his worst fault – his forgetfulness? I mean,
he was so bad, he’d forget his head if it wasn’t attached back in the day.”
Everyone by me started to laugh, and I simply leaned
over and kissed Kim’s head. I’d get her back for that later. For the moment
though, I was content to have Kim lean up against me as she related tale after
tale about the ranger’s predecessors and the legacy these new rangers had to
live up to.
------
Sunday morning found me getting hit in the face with
bright rays as the sun rose, and I turned slightly to escape it. As I did, I found
caramel hair beneath my nose. I don’t know how I’m going to ever sleep in this
bed without her here again. This is my last morning for a long while with her
here, and I pulled her tightly into my arms as I curl up into her again.
There is still a half hour before we have to get up
so I can take her to the airport, so I really don’t want to waste it by
sleeping. With deliberate care, I run my hands along her bare sides. I know she
brought some nighties, but I don’t think any of them, including the pink satin
camisole that I have to say was my favorite lasted more than ten minutes before
I had it tossed to the floor.
Slowly, I use my touch to wake her up and she turns
in my arms. The look in her eyes tells me she knows what I’m thinking, and she
reaches up to pull my head down to kiss me until I can’t remember my own name.
Until I can convince her to move in with me after the games, this will probably
be our last time together, and I can’t help but want to treasure it.
We make love slowly, leisurely, and when we’re
through, we simply cling to each other beneath the covers. I have to remind
myself again and again that this is not the end. We’re just going to have to be
apart for a little while. We’ll call and e-mail and when it’s all over, I’ll
pick her up at the airport, and never let her go.
Suddenly the alarm goes off, breaking the peace that
has settled over us. We look at each other regretfully, and get out of bed. I
know that I won’t be able to keep my hands off her, so I send her to shower
first. If I joined her, well, all I can say is that the water would be cold by
the time any real clean-up would be taking place.
I catch a quick shower and toss on my cargos and a
black t-shirt with one of my flannel shirts. When Kim sees it, she smiles, and
I remember a green checked flannel that she ended up giving me back after
borrowing it – for a month. After a quick breakfast, I grab her bag in one hand
and escort her out the door. Tossing the bag in the back of the jeep, Kim and I
get in, and we spend the drive in mostly silence, trying to get used to the
idea of not being able to touch each other whenever we want.
It doesn’t take long before we’re in the parking lot
at the airport. I find a space and park the jeep. I get out, reaching back for
the bag, and I turn to find Kim right beside me, her hand outstretched, waiting
for mine. Slowly we walk towards the terminal, and I drop off her luggage at
the curb before we head inside. Her flight leaves in half an hour, and this is
as close as we can cut it without her getting held up in security and missing
her flight.
The silence is starting to get to me, so I ask the
question that I promised I wouldn’t hound her with the whole time she was here.
But she’s getting ready to leave, so I should be safe in doing it now.
“So, are you still thinking that Reefside might be a
nice place to live?” I ask seriously as Kim and I walk along the breezeway to
the security gates.
“Just like home,” she replies softly.
I realize that her answer isn’t a cliché; it’s true.
Wherever the other is, that’s home for us. And I want her home…
Before we know it, the security gate looms before
us, and I find my hands are shaking slightly. I don’t want her to go. I don’t
know what Mesogog is planning on throwing at us next, but I know that having
her here makes it better than it is without her. My humor and my
lightheartedness is less forced, less fake when she’s at my side.
But I know it’s selfish of me to ask her to stay
again. I know she wants to; that she would love to rip up her return ticket and
come back to my, no *our* bed. But she can’t. And I won’t make her agonize over
it by asking her to.
I stare down at those brown eyes and see the tears
starting to form. Quickly, I swipe at her face to stop the liquid in its
tracks.
“I’ll expect a call from you when you get in
tonight, alright?”
“It won’t be a long call. I’ll probably be tired,”
she replies tightly.
“I know. But I need to hear your voice.”
We stand and stare at each other a bit longer. Then,
I pull her tight to me and kiss her. It’s that kind of kiss that makes you
question whether or not a soul can truly be shared by two people. When we
finally pull apart, we’re both shaking.
“It isn’t forever, you know. I’ll be back soon,” she
announces lightly.
“What? Did you… I mean, you made your decision?”
“I think that I could get to like Reefside. Even
with the regular monster attacks. Besides, that bed was mighty comfortable.”
She winks at me, and I feel like a thousand pound
weight has come off my chest and I crush her tightly to me. We stand there for
long moments before I remind myself that I have to let her go so she can come
back. With every ounce of strength I have, I slowly release Kim until just our
hands are clasped together.
“I guess we’ll talk about the particulars later?”
“We have months to plan before I leave for Greece,”
she confirms for me, “besides, now we something to talk about in addition to
‘work’ when you call.”
Nodding, I reach over to kiss her again. Not a kiss
goodbye, but a kiss of promise. That this time, I know that there won’t be a
letter in the mail breaking things off. That she’ll be coming back to me when
her commitment is finished.
I loosen my hold on her, and she pulls away
slightly, only one hand connecting us to each other. Then, she gifts me with
that stunning smile that I remember from my first day at Angel Grove high. It
still makes me grin like an idiot.
“I love you Tommy.”
“I love you too Beautiful,” I reply.
With that, she lets go of my hand and backpedals up
the slight slope to the security gates. Our eyes stay locked, and I see a
million thoughts, feelings and promises in hers that I know she can see
reflected in mine. Finally, she’s at the metal detector, and has to break away.
I watch as they usher her through, and then she’s past my sight.
For another minute I stand there, slightly afraid.
She promised she’d come back last time, but she hadn’t. Did I trust that this
time was different… I knew that it was though. We both were different, and
this, *us* was something that we now knew that we couldn’t ever walk away from.
We’d learned that the hard way.
Now, all I could do was wait: wait for her phone
call tonight, wait until the Olympics were over and wait until the time was
right to make this permanent.
One day Kim… I’m going to have you stay for good.
Even if I have to put a ring on your finger to do it.
But not today.
-End-
Ahh. Hopefully this will hold everyone's T/K needs
for a while.
tbc next week….
click the picture to go to the Always a Ranger page