Stay With Me

The weeks passed by slowly and first and then much more swiftly. During that time Tommy and Kim had kept their attraction for one another and the atmosphere was strained but had adopted a hands off policy. Kim could now walk on her own and was free to return to Florida if she choose. There was really nothing to return to. But could she really stay. She still feared that something grave would happen to Tommy and that it would all be her fault. Tommy had given Kimberly a morpher just in case. Afterall, the power had chosen them once, it could again. He was living proof of that.

"Don't you think we're getting a little old to play ranger?"

"I'm as fit as ever, and you are still as beautiful as the first time I saw you. You were watching me in my karate match against Jason."

"How do you know I wasn't watching Jase," she replied.

"I know," was his smug remark.

"Tommy, Zordon chose us because we were teenagers, we aren't anymore."

"Being around you makes me feel like a teenager. Keep it. For me." She could never turn him down when he used that tone, she she kept the morpher, just in case. Being around him made her feel like a teenager too, but she couldn't stay here. There weren't playing rangers anymore, or at least she wasn't. One of them had to keep a cool head, and it wasn't going to be him. She couldn't stay, and she no longer had an excuse to stay. If she was going to stay it would be on different terms, and yet she was getting too comfortable here, letting him care for her. She couldn't get sucked into this world again, she still wasn't sure where she belonged or if he would get hurt even if Zedd and Rita were gone.

He thought there child was alive and was doing an endless such on their Falcon. Kim didn't know, and she hated for him to have false hope, but she hadn't the heart to discourage him. She began packing her things with regret. She wished she could stay. She was becoming comfortable in her role as a mentor, she got along famously with Hailey and the rangers seemed to look up to her. She thought perhaps she could get a job as a teacher with Tommy but she didn't want to make plans unless he said he wanted her to stay. She didn't...she couldn't impose on Tommy not like that...it wasn't fair.

He should be free to date, to love without her in the way. More than once she had found herself face to face with Kat, who didn't like her being there and Kim didn't blame her. She had broken Tommy's heart. Even if he had forgiven her, even if her reasons had been to save him, it didn't excuse it. The truth was she had wanted him to hate her so that he didn't confront her, she didn't know what she would have said, what she could have done to hide the truth. Kimberly finished packing and grabbed her bags and took out a piece of paper and began to write. It was then that she came face to face with a familiar pair of eyes.

"What is this? Another letter?"

"I thought it would be best."

"Better than what? Telling me that you are leaving me...again."

"I don't ….Tommy, I can't stay here."

"Why not?" He always had been direct and honest.

"I thought you liked it here."

"I do."

"Are you still afraid of Zedd's threat?" he asked and he saw the fear reflected there. He reached her side. "Darling, nothing can break us apart. Nothing but us. Stay with me. Stay." He lowered his lips and her grasp on her bags slipped as his lips claimed her own as his. She had always been his, she grasped at him, pulling him closer, for there was no where she wanted to be more than to be with Tommy. She gasped as a wave of passion rolled around and brought shivvers to her body. She hadn't known she could still feel like this. And so she didn't stop him when he carried her to her bed.