Trusting Starlight
Series presented by: Pink-Green-White-4ever
Challenge: Album
Last Revised: May 15, 2010

Summary: Sometimes you just need to be reminded of what you have rather than what you've lost.
Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, wish I did.
Ship: Tommy/Kimberly

AN: Sorry I haven't updated, I haven't had inspiration to write and to be honest, my fics haven't been priorities with everything that's going on in my personal life. I'm hoping to get back to writing on a more regular schedule, but I can't make any promises. Thanks to Shawn for the summary! This one is the flip side to Mirror, and is set during the episode Beauty And The Beast and is from Tommy's pov.

Sitting back against the couch, head in his hands, elbows on his knees, Tommy let out a shaky breath. Kim's tear-filled voice over the phone had shaken him more than he wanted to admit. Ever since becoming a Ranger, he'd done his very best to be a good friend to her, and it had led him to falling in love with her. He also knew he was one of the luckiest guys in the world because Kimberly returned his feelings. But after everything he'd been through, first with Rita and lately with Zedd, he'd been in weird head space and had needed time away from Angel Grove and the team to get a clear understanding of where his life was going now. He was no longer a Ranger, and the longer he resented the fact that his girlfriend and his best friends were still active, the worse it was going to be.

If he was truly honest with himself, he'd have admitted whatever resentment he'd felt at no longer carrying the Green powers was gone, in its place was envy and hurt. He felt like he hadn't been worthy of being the Green Ranger, or being part of the team. His place was no longer by their sides, or at least he didn't think so. He knew his leaving for the cabin his uncle owned was a chance to get his feelings in order; he was prepared to let the team go when he got back, but preparing to let Kimberly go… it wasn't happening. No matter how he felt about not being a Ranger anymore, he wasn't letting her go.

Her latest brush with Zedd had his blood boiling and the rage he'd struggled to keep tamed since the ordeal with Rita seeping through every pore of his body. Zedd had been out to get him since he'd shown up on scene and kicked Rita to the curb, and that had led to his fascination with Kimberly, which was starting to border on crazy the last couple of months. The Emperor of Evil trying to make the Pink Ranger his bride was almost more than Tommy could take; if he had the power to do it, he'd have taken the fight to Zedd and made certain that ol' radiator face left Kimberly alone.

Shaking his head, Tommy pushed up from his position on the floor and headed into the bedroom he was using. He needed to change before he headed down to the lake for a run and a swim. Grabbing his clothes, he headed into the bathroom, but he never saw the bright ball of white light that appeared just over his bed, depositing something particularly heavy on his pillow. He noticed it, however, when he came back out to pull on his sneakers. Brow furrowed, he sat on the bed and grabbed what looked like a large photo album. Opening it up, he saw a note inside.

Tommy –

I've sent this to you, in hopes that you remember you always have a place among the Rangers, powers or not. The team does not know I've had Alpha send this, but Kimberly made it for you. Once a Ranger, Always a Ranger.

Zordon

Carefully he set the note aside and turned the first page to a picture of the six of them after he joined them as the Green Ranger. Alpha had obviously taken the picture, because they were all in mid-jump in the command center, hands in the air. In Kimberly's curly writing, there was a tiny caption on the picture. It read: Friends Forever, five become six.

Quietly he went through the rest of the album, amazed at how many pictures his girlfriend had managed to pack into it. There were pictures from demonstrations he and Jason had done, Zack trying to teach him to dance, Billy and him working on their home economics project (the one that blew up in their faces quite literally), him and Trini sharing a plate of nachos at the juice bar, and Kim leaning against him, a picture Trini had taken, while they sat against a tree in the park. There were tons of pictures of him with the team, each showing that, powers or not, they accept him for him, not for the powers he held. Each picture had a funny caption, or a quirky comment Kimberly had decided best described the scene. When he got to the final page, he saw only a note, written in Kimberly's hand.

Tommy~ No matter what happens from here on out, you'll always belong in our circle of friends. I left the last page blank, because I know for certain, this isn't how it ends; we've got a lot more memories to make, and more albums to fill. All my love, Kimberly