Paved With Good
Intentions
By Jeannine Trevizo
True to my word, as soon
as everything had been taken care of in regards to saving the world, I
teleported back to my motel room in
Sighing, I went to the
end table near the bed, grabbed the phone and dialed Kim's room in the dorm,
dropping to the comfortable mattress as the phone starts to ring.
"Hello," says
the sweetest sounding voice on the planet as Kim answers the phone.
"Hey there
Beautiful, I'm back," I announce over the phone line, my face plastered
with a silly grin at the sound of her voice on the other end of the line. Boy,
do I have it bad.
"Hey handsome, glad
to have you back in one piece," she says in a sweet tone that I remember
in my dreams.
"Did you talk to
Coach Schmidt?"
"Yeah. He was upset that I'd decided to leave the program,
but after I explained my reasoning, he seemed to be okay with it. In truth, I'm
sure he really could care less. I mean, I'm really just another gymnast to
him."
I stifled a growl at her
words.
"You're not 'just
another gymnast' Kim. And if he can't see that, then you're better off with
people who can."
Through the phone I can
almost hear her start to argue, then stop herself.
"Well, I know that
you appreciate me," Kim replied, her voice catching on the word you.
"So, are you
packed?"
There's a long pause on
the line, and I feel a chill run down my spine. She wasn't backing out, was she?
"Kim?"
"I am. I asked Adelle to ship everything to the Angel Grove main Post
Office. So I have a suitcase with my bare essentials in it. But I guess the
issue is that I should leave the dorm, since I'm not a part of the team
anymore. Except I don't have anywhere to go until we head back for Angel
Grove," she explained, her tone edged with that seductive quality that I
remembered from before Zordon had contacted me.
If I had been any more
thick-headed, I might have missed the implications of what Kim had just said.
If she left the dorm, the only place for her to stay would be with me in my
room. Sure, I probably could afford getting her a room too, but if she wanted
that, she would have asked me if I could get her a room. It sounded like she
wanted me to invite her to my motel room, maybe to pick up where we left off,
and I certainly didn't have any objections to that.
"Grab a bag and take
a taxi to the motel. I'll wait for you and pay the driver."
A slight inhale of breath
on the other end of the line indicates to me that she's surprised I picked up
her meaning. Hell, so am I. But I wasn't about to forget the sexual tension
that having her rubbing herself into my lap had created, and was on the verge
of returning just by hearing her voice.
I wait for her to confirm
my request and start to become nervous, as the line stays quiet. Maybe I
misunderstood what she was implying in her comment. If that's the case I may
have dealt a damaging blow to our recently repaired relationship.
"Are you sure you
want..." she begins and then falters, the words refusing to come out.
Am I sure I want what
Kim, I think to myself. You to come here? Definitely. You in my bed? You bet.
You in a very decidedly physical way...
Shit.
"Kim,
if you're uncomfortable, I can always get you another room, or I can sleep on
the floor. I just thought that
you..." I stammer hurriedly, realizing that I really jumped the gun.
"I do," she
replies quietly, meekly, and for the first time I understand the fear that is
driving her down this path.
The whole time she's been
here she's been made to feel inadequate, that she doesn't measure up to the
others. The last thing she can probably handle is not measuring up to my
standards, as a woman. I shake my head at her silliness.
"Beautiful," I
gently call her across the phone line, "*you* are what I want. All I've
ever wanted. I look at you and I see the beautiful woman you are. You couldn't
disappoint me if you tried."
For a second, I hear a
snuffle come from her end of the line, and I worry that I've said too much, too
fast.
"I just," Kim
begins, and then pauses before she pushes on, "I know that I've lost a lot
of weight, that I'm not the Kimberly you remember. I don't want you to regret
your decision to take me back."
My hand grips the phone
so tight I'm afraid the plastic case will break. I hate what the last few
months has done to my Kim. It's as if her spirit was
broken under the yoke of this dream that turned into a nightmare for her. And
for me as well, if I'm going to be honest. So when I received her letter, I
made a promise to myself to get her back. Now, like she was there for me when I
lost my green ranger powers, I'll be here for her during this crisis of
self-esteem, of herself.
"I have no regrets,
except for the one that nearly allowed me to lose you in the first place. Kim,
you know I love you, and I want you to be with me. So get off the phone and get
yourself here."
A familiar, lighthearted
giggle breaks loose from her, and I can feel the tension disappear even at this
distance.
"Alright handsome,
I'm on my way. I hope that you're ready," the smile and the seductive tone
have returned to her voice, and I feel happy and anxious at this turn of
events.
"You bet. I'll see
you soon."
With that the line goes
dead and I stare at the phone with a silly grin. Then I begin to panic as I
realize exactly what we're agreeing to. This is it. Once we cross this line
there's no going back. I won't be able to let her leave again.
I shove my hand in my
back pocket and pull out my wallet. I have cash for the taxi, but that's not
what I'm searching for. With a slight curse, I realize that it's empty of other
things that I really think I'll need tonight, and for a long while after if I
guess right.
No condom.
Okay, I think, starting
to nervously pace as my hand runs through the hair at the back of my neck. I
need to buy a pack of condoms before Kim gets here. If nothing ends up
happening, then I just take them back to Angel Grove, and if everything works
out once we're home I'll end up using them later. But if things go the way I
think they seem to be, I'll need them tonight.
Damn, where do I go to
buy a pack of condoms at...
I grab the plastic card
key and head out the door in a rush. Hopefully there's a guy at the front
counter so I don't look like a boorish oaf to some young woman for asking about
a pharmacy when my girlfriend's arriving in possibly fifteen minutes.
My luck seems to be
holding as I find an older man with graying temples behind the counter,
probably working his second job or something. Steeling myself, I head for the
front desk.
"Excuse me."
"Good evening sir,
how can I help you?"
"Yes, do you know of
a pharmacy close by?" I ask plainly, trying to be calm while inside I'm shaking. "Or even a local corner store?"
"There's a small mom
and pop grocery nearby. Just go out the door, turn right and go down two blocks
then turn right and it's another block down," the man informs me kindly.
With that, I'm out the
door like a shot. I don't have a lot of time to waste.
----------
I'm standing at the front
of the motel when Kim shows up in a cab. I smile as she looks out the window
and catches my eyes.
Quickly I'm at her door
as she starts to open it. Behind the wheel, the taxi driver is watching us as
if he's waiting to make sure we don't stiff him on his fare.
"Sixteen dollars
even," he tells me, and I reach into my back pocket and fish out a twenty,
handing it through the passenger window.
"Keep it," I
say as I shove my wallet back into my pocket, then
take first Kim's sole piece of luggage and then her hand. "Let's go."
With that I escort Kim
before me into the motel lobby and down the hall to my room. I notice that
she's changed into a dark pink dress with slip on shoes. Easy access, and I reign in thoughts of peeling it off of her the
moment we cross the threshold of my room.
Slowly we make our way
down the hall. As we arrive at my door, I start to pull my hand from its'
resting place at the small of Kim's back. The keycard is in my back pocket,
next to the small pack of condoms I just bought.
Suddenly Kim catches my
hand, stopping me before my touch leaves her body.
"Where's the
key?" she asks almost breathlessly.
"My pocket, but
I..." I start to explain before her hand reaches behind me and brushes
along my ass before it dives into the pocket with the key and the condoms.
I feel the pressure in my
pocket increase with her hand in there as well, then it all disappears as
Kimberly drags her hand forward to look at what's she's discovered. Her eyes
take on a wicked gleam as she looks from the five pack
of condoms up at me.
"I guess you're not
forgetful about everything," she says in a husky tone that has my head
spinning. All I can do is shrug with an embarrassed, guilty look on my face.
Key card in hand, she
quickly shoves it in the lock and opens the door. Turning, she backs into my
dark motel room, motioning to me to follow with a crook of her finger.
She doesn't need to ask
me twice. I cross the threshold and drop her bag on the floor. Painfully I make
myself turn from her beckoning gaze to close and bolt the door, but only after
I slip the 'Do Not Disturb' sign over the outside door handle.
Slowly spinning towards
the dark room, I can hardly make out her silhouette against the closed drapes.
Some light seeping through the cracks allows me to see her back lit by orange
streetlights, and I find myself about to come apart at the seems if I can't touch
her right this minute.
Moving forward towards
the beckoning shadow before me, I swiftly find my hands wrapped around Kim's
slim waist. With a gentle tug, she's in my arms, her chest against mine as her
arms loop behind my head with a bit of difficulty, due to the height
difference. My eyes are adjusting quickly to the dark, and I start to see Kim
in more detail, her lips curved in a smile and her eyes staring at me with more
emotion that I've ever seen.
I lean down and she leans
up to meet me, and our lips touch, then cling. She
moves to slant her head more, and I deepen the kiss, running my tongue along
her mouth until her tongue snakes out to meet mine. One of my hands slips
beyond her waist, cupping the cheek of her ass like I've always wanted to do.
Under my mouth, I hear a mewl of pleasure from her,
and my heart pounds faster at the sound.
Somehow my love/lust
addled mind realizes that her hands have moved and one is now making its way
down my chest. The warmth of her touch seeps through my white shirt, and I wish
I didn't have on so many clothes. The thought of her soft hand on my skin is
slowly making it hard to think of anything but more intimate activities, and I
need to be sure that's what she wants before we go too far.
With more strength than I
realized I had, I break the kiss, bringing my hands back to Kim's waist, but
keeping my head down, close to hers. I watch as she licks her lips, her eyes
never wavering from mine.
"Are you sure about
this Beautiful?" I ask quietly, afraid to break the spell that seems to
have settled on us in the dark of this room on the other side of the country
from home.
"You're the one
thing I've always been sure of," she replies in a smoky tone I know for a
fact that I've never heard pass her lips, because it goes straight to my cock,
bringing it painfully to life, confined in my jeans. "Please Tommy, I want to be with you. I want to know you completely,
and for you to know me the same way."
Without a second thought
I pull her tightly back to me and attack her mouth with both my passion for her
as well as my deep devotion. All those years when I first saw her in the
hallway at Angel Grove High, I knew I was hers. I had no doubt of it. It was
something that was in my bones, my soul. Now, we're finally going to explore
the true depths of that connection, and my blood is on fire with the thought.
I bring my hands up to
her head and let my hands drag through Kim's caramel brown locks, and then my
palms land on her shoulders. My thumbs slip beneath the cloth at the collar of
her dress and brush against her skin.
"May I?" I ask
in a breathy tone that belies my control, which is considerable since all I
really want to do is rip this dress off her and throw her onto the bed.
"Please," she
replies simply.
I move to the buttons
that first caught my attention and slowly slip each one from their hole. As the
cloth parts beneath my hands, I find my eyes plastered on soft, tan skin and
then the front clasp of the palest satin pink bra I've ever had the fortune of
seeing. Once I have sunk to my knees before her, the buttons of the dress
undone to her waist, I carefully pull apart the fabric covering Kim's upper
half and expose all of the soft curves beneath. With great difficulty, I drag
my eyes from the sight before me to meet Kim's nervous ones. I can't believe
that Kim could think I would find her as anything less than perfect to me, and
I need to make sure she knows that.
"You are so
beautiful, you know that don't you?" I whisper, awe and devotion dripping
from my every word.
"You make me
beautiful," she responds lovingly, her fingers tangling in my hair.
My fingers make quick
work of the rest of the buttons until her matching pink panties and her legs
come into view. Then the cloth falls like water to the floor as Kim takes the
initiative and shrugs her shoulders from the garment, letting it slip from her
body. Reaching forward, I wrap my hands around her waist and ease her to a
sitting position on the bed. With slow, and I hope sensual movements, I slip
off each of her shoes in turn.
Before my hands leave her
delicate yet dangerous foot, I feel Kim's hands on my shoulders, pulling on the
white shirt. Looking up, I see her request in her face, and quickly pull both
my button down and the tank shirt off, tossing them near the floor at the end
of the bed.
Once my chest is bare, I
watch in anticipation as Kim's hands reach for me, the smooth, warm texture of
her palms smoothing down to my waistband. Instead of asking me, this time she
purposefully pops the metal button from its hole and pulls my zipper down,
allowing my straining erection to finally get some breathing room. My face must
have look of utter surprise at Kim's boldness, as she gives me a half smile,
half smirk as she pushes on the waistband, trying to shove the heavy black
jeans over my hips.
"I'm gonna need you to help me here," Kim says playfully,
her voice tinged with more than a small amount of seductiveness.
In a matter of seconds,
I'm up off the floor, nearly ripping the jeans, boots and socks so I stand
before Kim in my white Jockey shorts, which are tented by my very obvious
erection that points its way forward towards Kim. I feel a blush start and my
cock jump as Kim stares directly at it, and I feel the need to refocus the
attention elsewhere.
Without delay, I drop
back to my knees again, and pull Kim forward on the edge of the bed. Reaching
up from her waist, I move to the front clasp of her bra, and pause for a long
moment, waiting to see if she's changed her mind and wants
me to stop.
Instead I'm shocked when
Kim's small hands come to rest over mine, and she guides my hands into opening
the plastic fastener. Carefully I peel the satin away and stare at what I have
always known would be the most perfect breasts on the planet, and elsewhere,
considering how many places the rangers have gone to. Without conscious
thought, I find my hands reaching up and palming the light weight of them. The
softness of them is incredible, and I can't help squeezing them to better appreciate
them.
"Ohhhh,
God Tommy that feels so good," Kim moans.
I glance up at her and
see her head lolling back, her eyes shut. A smile forms on my lips, and then I
think of what would feel better as I move my right hand so I can latch onto the
pink nipple with my mouth. The taste of her sends my senses reeling, and I use
my free hand to pull her closer as she arches herself farther into me.
Lapping and nipping at
her, Kim moans and sighs, and I move to her other breast to lavish the same
attention to it. As I am lost in the feel of Kim, I nearly start as I feel
something brush my rampant erection, making me nearly moan. Abandoning Kim's
breast, I glance down to find her nimble gymnast's foot rub against my cock,
and I shudder at the intensity of it.
"Kimberly,
please..." I stammer out as I try to get control of myself.
The repressed sexual
tension for the last three years is finally breaking loose, and both Kim and I
seem helpless but to follow our heart's and bodies'
desires to come together.
"I want you Tommy,
please," Kim murmurs, as her eyes open and fix on mine, her light brown
colored with passion and love.
Nodding because I now
can't seem to find my voice, I hook my fingers into the waistband of her
panties and tug them down. As Kim scoots back onto the mattress, I slide out of
my Jockey shorts and toss them aside. Slowly I lay down beside Kim, our full
skin meeting, and we both moan at the contact. Even the first rush of morphing
never sparked my nerve endings like this.
Slowly I run a hand over
Kim's shoulder, down her arm, then cross to her
stomach. My fingers dance along her skin, and I'm surprised that sparks don't
fly beneath my touch. Kim shifts restlessly beneath my touch, gasping and
moaning as I hit certain spots along her body. Finally I reach the soft caramel
curls at her center, and dip my fingers through and past it to where I know her
clit should be.
Mentally I send up a
thank you to Jason's dad and his extensive 'video' collection that was
certainly instructive, as well as helped alleviate a lot of that pent up
frustration back in the day. Hey, I wore white spandex for years, how the hell
do you think I was able to not have a noticeable boner every time Kim had those
pink tights on.
As I brush against a hard
yet fleshy nub, Kim's body nearly bolts off the bed, her voice catching on a
strangled cry, and I know I've found my target.
"Ohh,
there, please, don't stop," she moans beneath me.
With slow, circular
strokes, my fingers move over her clit. From the way her lithe body is refusing
to stay put, she has to be getting closer. I'm torn between seeing if I can get
her off this way and watch her climax, or sheathing myself in her and trying to
come together. Pausing for a moment while I try to make a decision, I let my
fingers slide away from her clit and brush lower, along what I realize is her
very soaked slit. Almost of their own accord, one of
my digits teases the opening, and slides past. I'm now encased in the searing
hot, wet clutch of her inner walls, and all thoughts of not doing this together
disappear.
But there's still one
final issue that I have to address.
"Beautiful?" I
whisper, awed by the feel of her very obvious arousal at my presence, my touch.
"Tommy,
what?" Kimberly murmurs
almost distractedly, her eyes opening to look at me,
the lips lowered half mast in lust.
"I, you, I mean
we're both vir... I mean we've never been with
anyone," I fumble, and hope I'm not breaking the mood or making Kim feel
embarrassed. "I want to make you feel special, make this special. I will
do my best to not hurt you, I mean if you want me to stop..."
Suddenly I'm moaning as
Kim reaches over and wraps her small, warm hand around my cock, making me
shudder.
"I love you Tommy
Oliver, for so many reasons, but especially for being so sweet about this. But
you won't hurt me. I want this. I want you inside me. I want us to come
together," Kim tells me softly, lovingly.
"I love you Kim, so
much," I answer before I crush her lips to mine, our open mouths slanting
and tangling with each other.
After I can't stand
another breathless second, I pull away and search desperately at the bottom of
the bed for where Kim dropped the condoms. A grin of triumph surfaces on my
face, and I rip open the box, then one foil package and carefully roll the
latex onto my erection.
Turning back, I find
Kimberly laid out on the bed, her arms open and
inviting me to her, and the cradle of her legs as equally invitingly open. With
deliberate gentleness, I move to her embrace, propping my weight on my hands,
arms and knees as I settle into her.
Once I'm lying between
her legs, I feel Kim wrap both her arms around my back, pulling me closer and
causing my throbbing cock to press into her open center. At this first intimate
contact, we both moan, and I feel the urge to thrust into her wet heat. Instead
I circle my cock a bit, and I feel Kim shudder under me.
My heart is thudding in
my chest at a blinding pace, and I can't stand this any longer. As I lean down
and kiss Kim deeply, I balance my weight on one arm as I use my free hand to
help guide my erection into Kim's body.
Immediately I feel the
scalding heat and liquid fire of her inner walls surround me, even through the
latex, and I have to force myself not to slam myself into her. With the slowest
movements I can muster, I slowly inch myself into her, as we kiss more
passionately with each deeper penetration of my cock.
While my heart soars, my
mind can't wrap itself around the fact that Kim and I are making love, that she is my first and I am hers. Then suddenly
Kim's groan and the sudden wall I meet inside her bring me back to the reality
of the situation. Pain and blood.
"Kim, are you
okay?" I whisper against her lips as I slide back millimeters inside of her,
waiting for her approval.
"Mmmm,
yes, I'm okay," Kim answers, her voice tinged with discomfort but
determined as well. "Don't stop."
Crushing her lips to
mine, I press back in, repeating until I feel her body give way and my cock
slides all the way in. I'm encased in Kim's warm body. As my balls hit her ass,
we both moan into the other's mouth, barely believing what we've done.
As incredible as this
feels, I can tell that her climax and my own will be even more stunning, but
for that to happen, I have to move. With a tentative stroke, I ease out until
just the head of my erection remains inside, and then thrust in swiftly. I
shudder at the intensity of the feeling of being inside of her, and Kim bucks
beneath me, her legs wrapping around my thighs. Again I pull back, then plunge into her. This time I'm breathing hard and have
to pull my lips from Kim's to take in a deep gulp of air.
My eyes flicker open and
I see Kim below me, her head thrown back, eyes shut tight and hair spread about
her like a fan. She licks her lips and I lever my hips, pulling nearly out of
her and slamming back in. The move yanks a near howl from her throat, and I
find that I'm over the edge as far as control is concerned as I start thrusting
faster, harder into her. As I grunt and groan with each stroke, Kim answers in
counter point with a moan or cry.
Kim's hands scrabble
against my back and I feel her small nails scratch at my skin, making me
shudder and move faster. I'm so close, I can feel my balls throbbing, and I need
Kim to go with me.
With every ounce of my
strength, I prop myself on one arm as I slip my right hand down to Kim's clit,
rubbing it is tight, fast circles. I only have to pump into her a few more
times before I feel the walls around my cock spasm as she cries out loudly, her
legs and arms nearly convulsing around me. At that, I rev up to what has to be
impossible speed, and then feel my own climax hits, my balls tightening as the
mind-bending near-pain of my ejaculation starts, and I shout Kim's name and
God's and a few swear words as the intense experience takes hold of me.
Once I can open my eyes,
I look down to see Kimberly looking up at me, her face flush and sweaty but
very happy and fulfilled. The smile I see there makes my heart expand nearly to
bursting, and I can't help but bring the hand from between her legs up to
cradle her face.
"I love you,"
Kim says as her breathing starts to slow.
"I love you too
Beautiful."
Carefully I ease back,
pulling my cock from her body. We both gasp at the feeling of being separated,
and I pull Kim to me on the mattress. As we lie next to each other, coming down
from the euphoria, I watch Kim's eyes dance as we gaze at each other. Loathe as
I am to move, I pull away from Kim and get up, peeling the condom from my
shrinking erection and pad into the bathroom to clean up.
I click on the light and
see myself, covered in sweat, both mine and Kim's, and I can't suppress the
grin that covers my face. Tossing the condom in the trash, I wet a washcloth and
wipe the slight red streaks from my thighs, dropping the cloth in the sink and
grabbing another to take to Kim. From behind, I feel soft, strong arms wrap
around my waist, and I turn to see Kim there, glowing and happy.
"You okay?" I
ask quietly, still not wanting to break the afterglow of this moment, as I hand
her the cloth.
"Better than
okay," she replies with that velvet tone I love.
"Should I give you a
minute?"
A slight flush covers her
cheeks, and I know that she's fighting between accepting my offer and not
wanting to be away from one another for a second. Part of the reason I know is
that I feel the same way.
"No, just let
me," she murmurs as she runs the cloth under the warm water, and starts to
turn from my sight.
I catch her hand and turn
her back to me. A questioning look appears in her eyes as the flush deepens.
"May I?"
With a tentative nod, she
agrees. But rather than taking the wet cloth from her hand, I grip her waist
and set her petite ass on the counter. Only then do I accept the terrycloth
wash cloth and move to tenderly clean the signs of the gift my Kim gave to me
from her body.
After I have her clean
and dried, we wander back to the bed. I pull back the tangled mess of blankets
and sheets so we can get underneath. We finally curl up under the sheets and
Kim lays her head on my chest as we settle in for the night, knowing come
morning I'll change my flight, get her a ticket and we'll be heading home. Together.
----------
Clutching Kim's hand, we
sat in our less than comfortable seats and watched the boring action film
aimlessly on the flight back to Angel Grove. It's real hard to treat them
seriously when you've spent three years of your life living something a lot
more real.
Since we'd woken up this
morning, checked out of the motel and headed for the airport I have barely let
her hand or some part of her out of my reach. I'd always wondered if once Kim
and I crossed that line how much it would change our relationship. I'd never
thought that it would have cemented every emotion we'd had for one another for
the last 3 years as it has. More now than ever I can see my future with this
amazing woman seated by my side.
I feel something brush
against my cheek and then glance down to see Kim rest her head on my shoulder.
The weight of her resting there seems the most natural thing in the world to
me, and I don't know how I would give it up now.
We have to make my
parents and hers understand how much we need to stay together.
"You okay?" I
hear her whisper.
"Hmm, yeah, I'm
good. How are you Beautiful?" I reply as I brush my free hand against her
cheek, remembering the feel of her skin against mine last night.
"Good. Happy,"
she says as she smiles up at me, melting my heart and making me shift a bit in
my seat.
"Looking forward to
being home?"
"Tommy, home is
wherever you are."
My throat goes dry at
that. The power of that statement is as significant as telling her how much I
wanted her, loved her the first time. To think that she feels like this means
the world to me, since I feel pretty much the same about her.
"I know the feeling.
But the gang will be there, well except for Billy and Aisha.
And I'll talk to Zordon once we get back to Angel
Grove. I know that I can convince him that you should come back. I mean, you're
one of the original team, you've proven yourself to him and us a thousand times
over. I just know we'll find a way for you to come back to the team,
okay?"
"Okay. And I am
looking forward to seeing the guys. I missed you all so much since
Christmas."
"Well, we'll be home
in a few hours, and then we can start making plans for the future."
"Sounds good,"
she replies, and then starts to yawn, her small hand coming up to cover her
mouth.
"Hey, you didn't get
a lot of sleep last night," I remark with a knowing grin and watch her
blush slightly, "why don't you catch a nap?"
"You didn't sleep
much either," she shoots back, sounding so much more like my Kim than she
did yesterday before she walked into my room that first time. "How about
you nap and I'll nap on you?"
I catch her hand with
mine and bring it to my lips, planting a soft kiss on the back of it.
"Sounds like a plan
to me Beautiful."
With a flush and a
brilliant smile, she snuggles further into me and closes her eyes. After
watching her for long moments, I close my own eyes and allow myself to drift
off, content in her presence. Maybe this plane ride won't be as long as I
thought it would be.
----------
The first thing we do when we reach Angel Grove early in the afternoon
is stop at my parents and drop our luggage, a bit wiped out from all the
traveling. The house is empty except for us and one thing leads to another, and
we end up being more exhausted after than we were before.
I know that there's a
long list of things to do, so the first thing on my agenda is addressing the
issue of Kim and the team. After I get dressed in my normal 'red' ranger
attire, for which Kim stares at me a bit funny, I give her a kiss and teleport
to the
Standing in the
"Zordon,
Kim wants to come back."
"DID KIMBERLY TELL
YOU WHY SHE HAS MADE THIS DECISION?" Zordon
asked in his usual benevolent tone.
"She did, but I
don't think it's my place to explain. I simply wanted to ask you before Kim
came to talk to you if there was a way, outside of one of us giving her our
power to bring her back to the team?" I questioned,
my heart in my throat as I waited for the answer.
There was a long pause,
and I wondered what was going on. The last time Zordon
had been this thoughtful was when we last changed powers. Did that mean...
"TOMMY, THERE IS
SOMETHING PERHAPS WE SHOULD DISCUSS BEFORE I BRING KIMBERLY TO THE
I nodded, waiting to hear
something I knew was going to change my life.
"I'VE BEEN CONTACTED
BY A MEMBER OF AN ANCIENT RACE FROM A PLANET AT THE OTHER END OF THE UNIVERSE.
HE IS THE HOLDER OF THE GOLD RANGER POWERS. THESE POWERS ARE VERY POWERFUL,
MORE SO THAN EVEN YOUR ZEO ONE RANGER POWERS. DO YOU FEEL KIMBERLY COULD WIELD
THEM?"
I nearly fell over at
that announcement. There was a power. One that Kim could have. We could be back
together on all fronts. I paused for a moment, pondering Zordon's
last statement.
"Is there a reason
you think Kim couldn't handle the Gold ranger powers?" I asked seriously,
worried now at Zordon's concern.
"SHE HAS BEEN
THROUGH MUCH SINCE SHE LEFT ANGEL GROVE. WHILE THE KIMBERLY HART THAT LEFT US
WOULD BE MORE THAN SUITABLE, I ASK YOU TOMMY, AS LEADER OF THE ZEO RANGERS, IS
THE WOMAN KIMBERLY IS NOW BE ABLE TO BEAR THE BURDEN
OF THE POWER AGAIN?"
I stood there for long
minutes as I started to wonder if the last 2 months might have permanently
impaired Kim's self-determination, the spirit that always made her the most
resilient of the rangers. Then I mentally kicked myself. I know for a fact that
our time together has made a difference in Kim's outlook. The last two days,
from all appearances seems to have erased the last 2 months, and the way Kim
behaved with the rest of the team today at lunch wasn't an act. She *is* who
she used to be, and more so.
"I trust her with
them Zordon."
"AND I TRUST YOUR
JUDGEMENT."
Suddenly there's a flash
of black and gold, and I look to see Kim beside me. She flings herself into my
arms, then looks to Zordon with an overwhelmed smile.
"Oh Zordon," Kim says, tears in her eyes as she pulls
away, but takes my hand, holding it tightly. "It's so good to see
you."
"AND YOU AS WELL
KIMBERLY," Zordon replies, his voice almost
sounding fatherly. "TOMMY HAS INFORMED ME THAT IT IS YOUR WISH TO RETURN
TO THE RANGERS."
"It is. I had a lot
of time to think in
Kim glanced down and then
looked up at me with both excitement and fear in her eyes. I smiled and
tightened my grip on her hand in what I hoped was a show of support.
"KIMBERLY, I SEE
AGAIN WHY I CHOSE YOU THOSE MANY YEARS AGO AS THE PINK RANGER. YOUR HEART AND
COURAGE HAVE NO LIMIT. WHILE THERE IS
I heard a gasp beside me,
and I looked to see Kim's frown beginning. I was sure she was thinking the
worst. Since Zordon hadn't said I had to stay out of
it, I decided to speak.
"It's not what you
think," I hurriedly told her, turning her towards
me so I could see her in front of me. "It is a power, just not a Zeo power."
Before I could raise her
head with my hand, Kim's head snapped up. Her eyes stared into mine, the tears
visible in her brown eyes as she searched mine, looking for the honesty she
knew she should find there.
"Really?" she
asked, sounding like a small child.
"YES KIMBERLY. TOMMY
SPEAKS TRULY. THE GOLD RANGER FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE UNIVERSE HAS RECENTLY
COME TO ME IN SEARCH OF A CANDIDATE TO BESTOW HIS POWERS ON. BOTH TOMMY AND I
AGREE THAT WE COULD NOT FIND A BETTER, MORE CARING AND DESERVING PERSON TO
ASSUME THE GOLD RANGER'S MANTLE."
Again I find myself
looking into the joy filled eyes of the woman I love more than my own life. And
finally, after everything I see all of her within their depths. I never
realized just how much of her was a ranger until I saw her when she wasn't one.
I imagine it was similar to the times I lost the green ranger powers and she
stood by me.
"How, when, I
mean..." she started to rattle off, maybe more animated than she had been
in my arms in bed yesterday afternoon. As I think back, I grin and change that
opinion. Close, but not quite.
"IT MAY TAKE A FEW
DAYS TO SET UP THE POWER TRANSFER WITH THE GOLD RANGER, BUT I WILL CONTACT HIM
TO LET HIM KNOW I HAVE FOUND A CANDIDATE."
"This is so
great!" Kim yells, throwing herself at me again. "I'm finally going
to be back with the team."
"Yeah Beautiful, you are," I reply happily, "and this is
only the beginning. Once we get your housing settled, there won't be anything
left to keep us apart."
With that, I nodded up to
Zordon and he teleported Kim
back to the park as I followed in my red Zeo transport
right behind her. We still had a lot to do
and not a lot of time today to do it in. Next will be
Kim's mom and then my family.
Oh boy.
----------
My mom once told me that
the road to hell was paved with good intentions. I never really though much
about it until today, as I stand here listening to her and my dad lecture me in
between bouts of yelling and silent staring.
Now, after asking them
for permission to move Kim into our guest room until graduation, I'm learning
exactly the meaning of the phrase. Kim had offered to come with me, but I
thought this was something that I needed to do alone, so I sent her to the
Juice Bar to meet up with the rest of the team and tell them about the Gold
Ranger powers.
I'm glad I made that
decision, because even after our promise to make this work, Kim would probably
be considering running back to
"Thomas James
Oliver, what in the hell were you thinking?" mom yells again, and I
shudder. I'm eternally glad that no one is here to see the mighty leader of the
Zeo Rangers cowed by his mother. "You seriously
expect us to allow you to move your girlfriend into our house, and allow God
knows what kind of inappropriate behavior to take place under our roof?"
"What did Kim's
mother have to say about this?" asks my dad, trying to be a bit more
reasonable than my high-strung mom.
I drop my gaze and my
foot scuffs the carpet. I was really hoping they wouldn't ask this question
yet, but I knew it was coming. Sighing I look up and see anxious and heated
faces watching me.
"Kim was going to
call her mom from
"But?" my mom asks,
focusing in on my discomfort.
"I ended up getting
my return ticket changed to come back earlier, so we didn't call until we got
back to Angel Grove."
"What did she
say?"
"She wasn't thrilled
about the idea..."
That's probably the
understatement of the year. I remember Kim and I
sitting on the sofa that's behind me, talking to Mrs. Dumas in
That might have been it,
if I hadn't made Kim a promise that I intended to keep. We were going to make
this work, because we had no other option. I couldn't live with her in
So we spent the better
part of an hour calming her down and then another hour bombarding her with
logical, solid reasons why this made sense.
"But we finally got
her to agree to leave it to your better judgment, since Kim and I would be
here, under your roof, not hers."
Mom's jaw nearly dropped
at my announcement and dad just seemed to stare at me. Okay, so I know that
most of the time I'm not the adult that I am as the leader of the rangers. But
the last few months have made me have to grow up, and nearly losing Kim made me
really get my shit together, if you know what I mean.
"Look mom, dad, I'm
sure you're thinking a lot of things right now, and that this whole idea must
seem insane. But I need you to look at this from my point of view for a
minute," I begin, deciding that I need them to truly understand my motives
for this, and hope that some of Billy's logical thinking rubbed off on me over
the years. "Kim and I tried being apart. It was more than difficult, it nearly ripped us both into pieces. So, since
Kim has left the training program, she has two choices, find somewhere in Angel
Grove to stay while she finishes high school or head to Paris to stay with her
mom."
My mom looks at me like
I'm telling her something she already knew, but my dad seems genuinely
interested in where I'm going with this. Good, I'm going to need his help here.
"Most of the people
she knows in Angel Grove either don't have room for her or just can't let her
stay. We have a guest room and you guys have always considered her
family."
"But Tommy, it's not
as easy as that. I can't condone you and her... "my
mom starts to boldly state, then trails off before she actually says the words
I know are on her mind.
"Having sex in your
house?" I throw out, making my mom blush and frown and my dad stare at his
feet. Time to slam dunk this issue, even if I have to embarrass myself to do
it. "Mom, it's not like we couldn't find a way to sleep together, if
that's really what you're worried about."
I watch my mom's face go
as pale as my old white ranger uniform. My dad on the other hand gives me a
smirk that looks like I may have hit on something here. Hell, he and mom have
been known to spend a nice evening alone when I'm out, and I doubt they just
sit and talk. The shock of my statement doesn't take long to wear off however.
"So have you and Kim
been sleeping together?" my dad asks suddenly, and I find it's my turn to
feel my blood burn under my skin.
"Do you really want
me to answer that?" I throw back defensively.
My mom looks sort of
helplessly at my dad. I guess they really didn't need me to answer. I'm glad
because I don't know if I could have told them that Kim and I had already been
intimate in
"Mom, Dad, I want
you guys to understand something. I'm in love with Kim. Her being here in this
house is temporary. As soon as we graduate, we'll both be
moving out, getting jobs and going to college. And sometime this year, I'll probably
ask her to marry me. So you need to get comfortable with the idea of us
sleeping together. Especially if you figure on having grandkids after we get
out of college."
The silence is deafening.
I don't think, even through my request for the money to see Kim that they
really understood the depth of my relationship with Kimberly. My declaration
has now woken them up to the fact that this isn't a high school crush or first
love that will pass. Kim and I are in it for the long haul and this is just the
beginning.
"Tommy, are you sure
you understand what you're saying?" mom asks, still a bit overwhelmed by
my announcement.
"Yes mom, I do. Come
on, you knew you and dad were meant for each other when you met. I've heard the
story a million times. So why is it so hard to believe that Kim and I could be
sure about us?"
There was another round
of silence, but this time it seemed more thoughtful than embarrassed. I watched
as they looked at each other, and I saw for the first time in them what I felt
with Kim. A partnership based on enduring love that was stronger than anything.
That had weathered bad times and flourished in good. So I knew they had to
understand. How could they not?
"Tommy, let your mom
and I talk about this some more, all right? We'll give you and Kim an answer
over dinner," my dad stated.
Reluctantly I nodded and
turned for the door. I glanced at my watch before I headed out, planning on
meeting Kim and the gang at the Juice Bar with the news of my parent's
non-decision. An hour. My whole life will change in an
hour.
With that, I closed the
door behind me and headed for Ernie's.
---------
I met up at the Juice Bar
with Kim and the rest of the team after I left my folks. As I walked to the
table, I saw not only her anxious face, but that of the rest of the team.
"They're thinking
about it," I announced as I pulled out a seat next to Kim and Adam. My
elbows hit the hard table and my chin found its way to my hands.
"Your parents are
fair people Tommy, I can't imagine that they'd turn Kim away in the long
run," Adam said sincerely, patting my back.
"Besides, now that
Kim's back with the team, she has to stay in town," Rocky stated bluntly,
his determination at having Kim back with the team obvious in his comment.
"I'm so glad that Zordon found a way for you to come back," Kat says
softly, and I know that she probably was a little relieved that Kim wasn't back
looking for her Zeo power.
"Well, being pink
isn't all there is to being a ranger, is it?" Kim quips, giving a wink to
Kat and I know now that they're all right with the situation.
"So, what are you
going to do if Tommy's parents turn you guys down?" asks Tanya, brushing
her dark hair from her face as she reaches for her soda.
"We'll figure
something out. Maybe we could go to Kim's dad or something," I muse out loud.
Kim turns her gaze
towards me and I see the apprehension to that plan in her face. She loves her
dad, I know, but he's hurt her a lot in how he's neglected her. Fuck, who am I
to talk, when I spent the last two months doing the same thing. I mentally kick
myself for that stupidity again, knowing that its
going to be a long time before I feel like I've made up for it with her.
"What about Billy's
family? I know that he's gone, so maybe Kim could stay there?" Rocky
suggests in his not so helpful way before chomping down on his burger.
"Maybe, but without
Billy there, it might seem too much of an imposition," Kim remarks
sullenly. "I just wish that he or Trini were
here, then it would be easier."
"I'm sorry that we
couldn't have you stay with us Kim," says Adam, smiling that ever shy
smile at my girl. Lucky I know he means nothing but friendship by it.
"Same here,"
adds Rocky.
"But we're here if
you need support for anything. We're a team, remember that," says Kat, making
sure Kim knows she really means it.
"Thanks," Kim
replies, taking Kat's hand in hers and gripping it. She glances around the table, her eyes a bit misty at the warm welcome from the
team that she had been so afraid wouldn't be here. "Thanks guys. It really
means a lot to me that you're here for me."
I stare at Kim, and then
look at the faces of the team. Everyone is obviously glad she's back, no one
more than myself. The cohesiveness that Kim was afraid
would be lost is here, even between Kim and Kat, which I am grateful for. I
know that its has to be hard on Kim to come back, to
see Kat with her pink communicator and the power that would have been hers had
she stayed. Kim made her choice to turn over her Pink Ninjetti
powers to Kat when she left for
Looking at the clock
against the far wall, I notice that it is
"We need to go, we're expected at my house for dinner. Dad promised us
an answer about Kim staying with us."
"Good luck,"
Rocky said in a smart-alec way that made Kim cuff him
lightly with a hand to his head.
Taking Kim's hand, we
head out for my folks, and hopefully our home for the next 3 months as well.
---------
As we walk into the
house, I smell lasagna, and I fear the worst. It takes mom a good hour to make
it, and unless they talked while she cooked, there wasn't really enough time
for her to do that after she and dad discussed Kim staying with us.
"Mom,
Dad?" I call from the door as Kim
trails behind me, her eyes darting from the kitchen to me and back again. I
guess she's thinking the same thing.
"Sit down kids,
dinner will be done in a minute," says my dad from the kitchen.
My brows raise at that. First that dad called us 'kids', like he used
to do when Kim and I first started dating. Then that he's in the kitchen, which
is a shock in itself. Looking to Kim, I grin as I notice her mouth has fallen open
a bit, and I can't help but take advantage of the situation, leaning over and
sealing my lips over hers, my tongue hoping for a formal invitation.
The slide of hers over
mine gives me that, and for long moments we're caught up in the rush of mouth
on mouth, breath on breath. A loud cough from the door to the dining room
brings us instantly back to reality, and I see my dad looking at us with
another of those smirks.
"I had to help your
mom, or dinner wouldn't have been ready on time. So why don't you sit down and
we'll bring in the food," dad says, setting down a pitcher of water and a
basket of French bread.
Kim and I take our
regular seats, me at the end of the table and Kim to my right, mirroring dad
and mom's seating. I watch as mom comes in with a large pan and smell the
lasagna as she sets it down near her seat. Dad then comes back in with the
salad and sits as well.
I glance at Kim as my
folks go through a regular dinner night, serving and passing food around like
there had been no discussion and Kim's fate didn't rest in their hands. It was
like many meals before that we'd spent during the years we dated, and it was
starting to unnerve me.
"Mom, dad, I thought
you said you were going to make a decision about Kim," I start as my mom
hands me the salad bowl.
"We can eat and talk
Tommy," mom says as she reaches for the bread and after taking a piece
hands the basket to Kim with what suspiciously looks like a small smile.
There doesn't seem to be
much more I can say to start the matter, and I think that if they were kicking
Kim out that we wouldn't have gotten dinner, let alone wait until we start
eating. I guess the decision is reasonable dinner conversation...
"Tommy, your mom and
I have thought about this, and discussed the situation fully, and we've come to
a decision."
Before I know it, Kim's
hand is covering mine on the table, and I feel my heart thud in my chest.
"While we would much
rather you two wait until later, we understand that Kim needs a place to stay
while she finishes school. You made it quite clear that this was a temporary
arrangement, and laid out your long term plans," dad explains, and I love
him for not spilling it all to Kim just yet. "There's no way even if Kim
was living somewhere else in town that you couldn't be having sex in your car
or who knows where. So, as long as you promise that you'll be safe and keep
things low-key, we can't turn Kim away just because of our concerns about your
sex lives."
In a heartbeat I'm up and
hugging dad and then mom as I realize that Kim is really staying. That I don't
have to lose her again, and I feel a huge weight lift from my chest that I
hadn't realized was there.
"Thank you,"
says Kim sincerely to my parents, and I watch as my mom reaches over and takes
her hand.
"Actually Kim, we
really need to thank you. It wasn't until you walked in tonight with Tommy that
we realized that he really wasn't happy without you," mom says, her eyes
clear as she brings up something that I never thought she had noticed.
"So, we seem to owe you a lot more than just a place to live for a
while."
At that, Kim gets up and
my mom stands and they meet at the corner of the table, Kim wrapping her arms
around my mom. In a second they are embracing tightly, my mom's eyes looking at
me over Kim's shoulder. My mouth goes dry as I see there an understanding that
wasn't there before. She knows that I wasn't kidding earlier. That Kim is just
probably months away from being my fiancé, and that I need her in my life.
"So, I guess after
dinner Kim has some unpacking to do," dad says, coming behind me and
looping his arm over my shoulder.
Kim breaks away from my
mom and turns towards me with a soft, warm look that melts my insides. As I
watch her look at me, I can't imagine being without her, and I'm so glad that I
refused to let her go.
Plus, with a wicked
thought as we all start back to our seats to finish dinner, I wonder if my bed
or hers will get used the most.
END
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