Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Power Ranger characters. The story and the original characters are mine.

P.S. This is the story that I have literally had in my brain since I was in middle school. We're talking like 2002-ish. I had written it all down in a notebook that has been lost for years but I remember most of it. Please, please read and review. This one means so much to me.

"Thank you for everything, Coach," Kimberly said, giving her old Coach a hug as she had just finished getting the last of her things in her car.

"I am so sorry that all of this has been happening to you," he said, hanging his head in shame, "If I had known he was this way toward any of my girls, I..." Coach Schmidt couldn't finish the sentence.

"I know," she said, giving his wrinkled hand a squeeze. She knew it was hard for him to accept that someone he had trusted and mentored and given so much responsibility too had violated his gymnasts the way he had, for as long as he had. He also knew that Kimberly had bore the brunt of the abuse in an attempt to save the other girls. Especially the young ones.

"Take this," he said, pushing an envelope into her hands. She knew what it was and she started to protest but he held up his hand, "It's the least I can do for everything you've sacrificed. Stay safe, Kimberly. Call me when you get there, let me know you're safe."

"I will," she said. She was fighting tears the whole time and she gave her coach one more hug and then made the walk back to her car where Trini, her best friend sat waiting.

Once they hit the interstate, headed in the direction of California, Kim let the flood gates open and silently cried in the passenger seat. She cried for everything she had lost, consistently for the last two years. Trini said nothing from her place in the driver's seat. She simply reached over and took her best friend's hand and gave it a loving squeeze, knowing just how much Kimberly needed let go of how much she had been holding in.

Flashback - 5 months ago, two days after her return back to Florida from her visit to Angel Grove and subsequently, the Island of Muranthias

Kimberly's bare back hit the hard, ridged surface of the lockers in the gym locker room. The assistant coach found her in the showers and yanked her out by her hair and flung her into the wall of lockers. It knocked the wind out of her.

"You think you can stop me," he growled, stalking toward her. She attempted to stand but she was soaked and slipped on the wet, white tile and her face hit the floor. She felt him grab her ankles and she was suddenly being dragged, wet and naked across hard tile. She felt his hands let go so he could get closer to her and she took the opportunity to roll onto her back and she swung her legs around and tripped him. His face hit the floor next to her with a sick slap and blood spurted everywhere as his nose crunched against the floor.

"YOU BITCH," he said and wrapped his hands around her throat as he moved to straddle her naked body. He back handed her across the face and continued to choke her. She was clawing at his hands and kicking her legs, trying hard to buck her body upward to knock him off of her. It was all to no avail. He leaned in, close to her face and growled low in his throat, "I'm gonna kill you, but first I'm gonna fuck you." She took the opportunity to use her dying strength to ball up her fist and punch him with everything she could muster. She'd hit him squarely on the jaw and managed to knock him off her. She struggled to get to her feet, scrambling across the floor for the exit. He caught her ankle again and pulled hard. Her other foot slipped out from under her and she fell, her head smacking the tile hard. Her chest hit hard as well, once again knocking the air out of her. Her vision immediately went fuzzy and she lay in a bloody daze on the floor as her temple gushed blood. She could barely hear the jingle of his belt coming unbuckled as she groaned on the floor. He grabbed her shoulder and roughly, rolled her over. She had just barely begun to get her breathing under control when he pinned her to the floor, one hand pinning her hands above her head, while he laid his arm firmly across her throat, cutting off her air and her ability to scream. She felt him force his way inside her and then everything went black.

When she came too he was still there, getting dressed and attempting to clean up. She'd made it impossible for him to leave the locker room without anyone noticing his broken, bloody nose. She was still naked, on the tile. She must have only been out for a short period but it was long enough for him to have his way with her, yet again.

"Better me than anyone of those girls out there," she thought, knowing how young some of those girls were. She tried to move but her body was sore and weak. Her head was throbbing but now the blood was thick and sticky on the side of her head.

"You're not going to win," he said, knowing she was awake. He came and squatted just next to her legs, "You were stupid to think any of them would speak against me when you decided to go to the police. I have them all. I'm sorry for what I have to do now; you really were my favorite little toy." He reached forward, his plan to smother her. She closed her eyes and thought of what she had lost. Her innocence. Her freedom. Her love. She saw Tommy's face in her mind and she refused to go this way. She wouldn't let him win. She mustered all of the strength she could and she opened her eyes and glared at him.

"Not today," she growled, grabbing his reaching hand and forcing it unnaturally backward causing him to scream in agony. She yanked him forward just enough to wrap her legs around his neck and she held his arm in the best arm bar lock she could while she squeezed her legs around his neck. He was gasping and slapping at her legs for air. She squeezed harder, a part of her hoping she was crushing his windpipe but she didn't. He went limp in her hold and she let go when he lost consciousness. She kicked his limp form away from her and struggled to get to her feet. She limped and stumbled, hunched over trying to get to the door. She heard someone banging on it. She heard him groan behind her just as she reached the door. She fumbled to unlock it as she heard his heavy feet coming, slowly but still coming for her. She pulled the door open and the fell back against the wall and slid to the floor. Coach Schmidt burst in and that was the last thing she remembered.

Present

"Hey," came Trini's voice, shaking Kim from her thoughts, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Kim said, furiously wiping at tears, "I just can't believe it's finally over."

"He's going to spend the rest of his life in prison," Trini reassured her, knowing that most people's closeness cause her anxiety but touching her shoulder anyway, "You did that. And you saved those girls from becoming his next prey."

"That doesn't make any of this any easier," Kimberly said, "Because of me going to the police, Coach Schmidt might lose his gym and his license. He didn't commit the crime. He didn't even know it was happening. He doesn't deserve to suffer for what some other creep did."

"He hasn't lost anything yet," Trini pointed out, "and he made sure you got your coaching license and a job once you get home and settled. Kim, it's going to be okay." Trini was so supportive and she appreciated that but she also knew that Trini was going to spend this entire trip trying to convince her to tell their friends what happened to her, why she sent Tommy that stupid letter and to let them help. Kimberly also knew that all of Trini's efforts were moot because she wasn't about to budge. She didn't think she could face them all again. The last time Jason tried, they came home and got captured and by the time they had made it back to Angel Grove to see the shelter saved she had just shut down entirely. Sure, she had talked to them and they had quietly asked her questions that she skirted or gave them the vaguest answer she could think of until she couldn't look at any of them anymore. So she hopped on the first flight she could catch and left. After the attack in the locker room that put the scumbag in jail, it was her Coach that had called her mother who had called Trini because she knew Kim would be more comfortable with her best friend. Trini was at her bedside with her mother when Kim woke up. Both of them tried their best to get her to tell her closest friends what happened but Kim stubbornly refused. After Kimberly recovered, her mother called the apartment that she'd found for her daughter back in Angel Grove and paid the deposit and promised to pay the rent on the place until Kimberly was allowed to leave Florida. The prosecutor's office required her as a victim to stay until the trial was over. She testified and because of her bravery, every other girl that had been subjected to the assistant coach's abuse testified against him. They all confessed to how he had assaulted them, how he had threatened them if they didn't keep quiet, how Kimberly would distract him and take the brunt of the abuse to save them as often as possible, and how Coach Schmidt had no clue what was happening under his nose and how they had all had their lives viciously threatened if they talked. The trial lasted almost 4 months and he was finally sentenced to life in prison for 27 counts of sexual assault, 13 counts sexual abuse of a minor, 27 counts of aggravated assault and 27 counts of aggravated menacing. She was finally able to leave Florida and wanted nothing more than to go home. She felt safe in Angel Grove but she wasn't ready to let her friend's in again. She wasn't sure she would ever be able to divulge the truth to them. She just wanted to go home and find some kind of normalcy.

The drive had been long and daunting. The girls took turns driving and Kim was grateful that when she drove, most of the time Trini used the opportunity to sleep. Trini, however, did her best in the hours that they were both awake to convince her best friend to let the rest of their friends in on her secret and let them help her. Especially since Trini would be leaving not long after they got to Angel Grove to go back to the Peace Conference in Switzerland. It was to no avail. Kimberly wasn't ready and she didn't like being pushed. She wanted to settle in, get herself into a routine and hopefully move on without anyone ever having to know about her personal hell. She knew it wasn't the best way to go or even the healthiest but she didn't want to relive the whole thing over and over again by having to rehash every sordid detail to their close knit group.

"Kim," Trini said, shaking the sleeping Kimberly, "Kim, wake up. We're here." Kimberly groaned in the passenger seat. The three day drive just seemed like it took forever. It was dusk as Trini pulled into the apartment complex on Chestnut Drive. It was a three story building with lots of windows and no balconies, much to Kimberly's disappointment but it was one of the nicest, decently priced apartments that her mother could find online that they both agreed on. The only problem she had now was the three flights of stairs she had to climb.

"So I was thinking, we can unload the car in two trips and then I'll go get some dinner while you set up our beds for the night," Trini suggested.

"Sounds perfect," Kim responded, still trying to shake herself out of her groggy state. She stretched and opened the door. They both started to unload the back seat and make their way up to the apartment. After the first trip, Trini made Kim stay in the apartment to unpack a little.

The apartment was a small two bedroom and it had potential. She set a box down on the living room floor and decided to take that moment to find the bathroom. The apartment had a pretty simple layout. The entrance had a small hallway/foyer area with a coat closet to the right side as you walked in. At the end of that short hallway, the apartment opened up into a wide L shape with the larger, longer space serving as the living room and the shorter, squarer space to the left being the dining room. Off of the dining room was the kitchen with a top row of cabinets and a stove at the far left end next to the counter, the counter and sink took up the rest of the longer back wall with a row of cabinets on the bottom and the refrigerator was to the right of the kitchen entrance. At the end of the large living room was a short hall way with two bedroom doors facing the living room and to the left at the end of the barely three foot hallway was the bathroom door. Inside the first bedroom door that could be fully seen from the front door of the apartment, there was a closet directly to the right of the bedroom door and then open floor space. In the second bedroom, which was slightly smaller than the first, the closet doors were to the left of the bedroom door. Across the short hallway from the second bedroom door was the hall closet and to next to that, squaring off the short hallway was the bathroom door. The bathroom was small but still held its own shelved linen closet behind the bathroom door and next to the bathtub. The walls in the apartment were a stark white and the carpet was soft beige. The only rooms without carpet were the bathroom and the kitchen.

"I'm definitely going to have to paint in here," Kimberly said to no one in particular, since Trini had left to get the rest of the stuff that Kimberly had brought with her from the car. She was excited and somewhat scared to have this new chapter in her life starting. She was not looking forward to having to take Trini to the airport the next day but she couldn't hold her best friend hostage. She decided that after dropping Trini off in the morning, she'd spend the rest of the day furniture shopping and getting the essentials she needed for her new apartment.

"I guess it's just you and me now," she said, looking down and rubbing the eighteen week old bump she was sporting underneath the pink tunic she wore. She didn't find out until just over a month later and after the trial had begun. Her mother tried to talk her into having an abortion because why should she have to be burdened with a child that was only going to remind her of the man that abused her for almost two years. Kimberly, wise beyond her years declined and told her mother that this child's life was not its choosing just as much as her conception of it was not her choosing. She wasn't going to take away this baby's life just because of how it came to be. That wasn't fair. Her mother had then tried talking her into adoption and Kimberly had again declined. Kimberly again explained to her mother that she wouldn't spend the rest of her life wondering what had become of her child. She didn't want strangers raising her baby. Knowing how this child was conceived made her all the more determined to give this baby his or her best chance to be raised in a loving environment and the only way Kimberly could guarantee that was to raise this baby herself.

"I'm not happy about it," her mother had said, "But you are being far more mature and responsible than you have to be, given the circumstances and I respect you more for that. I know that I raised you with a good head on your shoulders. I'm just sorry that you've had to grow up so fast. I only wish that I could have saved you from this. I should have been there with you. I should have noticed." Her mother had broken down and cried for how she had failed her daughter and she cried for what her daughter had lost. She cried because she was so proud of her strength and her courage and her bravery. Kimberly was more of an adult than most adults were and it was, in part, because she had been forced to deal with the violence and brutality of what that man had done to her and the after effects but a lot of it, unbeknownst to her mother, stemmed from her time as a Power Ranger.

"Just promise that you won't treat my baby any differently just because of how they got here," Kimberly asked. It had been the only thing she had asked of her mother. Carol Hart had kissed her daughters forehead and promised that she would spoil her grandbaby rotten.

She giggled at the memory of her mother promising to spoil her child because it was one of her more recent memories that had been the happiest. Happy was a long way away these days.

"What's so funny," Trini asked, as she struggled with two boxes and almost four garbage bags of stuff from the car. Kimberly rushed over to relieve her friend and took the two boxes out Trini's arms and set them down on the living room floor.

"I was just thinking about a conversation I had with my mom a while back," Kimberly said, "That's all."

"Oh, well whatever it was, you should think about it all the time," Trini said, "The world needs more of that famous Kimberly Hart giggle."

"Thanks, Trini," Kimberly said, putting and arm around her friend and looking at the mess of boxes and bags all over the living room floor, "Can we go get food please, I am starving." Trini laughed and they headed out of the apartment for food.

Kimberly dropped off Trini at the airport at eighty thirty and then stated making her way toward the few furniture stores she knew of in Stone Canyon. She decided it would be safer shopping there since not one of her friends knew that she had moved home. She decided that she would do her best to keep it that way as long as possible. She spent the afternoon making her furniture selections and paid for everything with the American Express her mom had given her for the purposes of getting everything she needed until she began working at the gymnastics studio that had opened in Angel Grove about a year prior. After the furniture stores, she went to Walmart and Kmart to get everything else she needed. She even stopped at a Sherwin Williams and picked out paint, the supplies and tarps. The last item on her to-do list that day was grocery shop. She finally made it back to her apartment sometime around five in the evening only to find a very annoyed install tech waiting for her at her door.

"I was scheduled to install your phone, cable and internet today," he said, exasperated as she came to the door. He was an older gentleman, heavier set with a curly red hair and a bushy mustache.

"I'm so sorry," Kimberly said, opening the door for him, "I just moved here and with everything going on, I guess I totally forgot." The man eased up on her, noticing her condition and that she had just carried a ridiculous amount of bags up three flights of stairs by herself.

"Good gracious, let me get those," he said reaching to take her bags but she stepped back and tensed up.

"I've got them," she said, inwardly chastising herself for being so scared of such a kind gesture, "I appreciate it but really, I'm okay." He gave her a disapproving look and followed her into the apartment.

"Forgive me miss but you really shouldn't be carrying things like that up all those stairs in your condition," he said as he set his tools down on the carpet.

"I know," she said, looking down at her belly and apologizing to the sweet baby inside, "But I guess I'll just have to get used to it. It's just me here." He frowned as he started to get things set up for her.

"Maybe it's the father in me," he started, his voice gruff and reminding Kimberly a little of her grandfather. "But if you have more that you need brought up, I'll get it for you. I really don't mind at all. And I'm sorry for being so short with you for keeping me waiting. You look like a nice girl and I'm sorry for your situation. Please, let me help." His words brought a tear to her eye. This was why she loved this place.

"Thank you," she said, holding her hand out, "I'm Kimberly."

"Phil," he said, shaking her hand, "Now, why don't you tell me which car is yours and I'll get the rest of your bags." Kimberly directed him to the blue cavalier with the open trunk in the parking lot. After four trips, Phil brought everything up and took a seat on the floor to catch his breath. Kimberly offered him a bottle of water that he graciously took. She thanked him profusely for the help, and set about putting her groceries away. She had remembered to purchase a cordless phone while she was out and Phil was kind enough to set that up for her after he was finished installing everything else. He shook her hand, asked her to take care of herself and left when he was all finished. She sighed as she locked the door behind him and began setting up what she could before her furniture was delivered the next day.

Two weeks went by quicker than she realized and she had started her job and was almost finished getting her apartment just how she wanted it. Her mother had insisted on hiring professional painters because she didn't want Kimberly stressing herself out too much. Kimberly again declined the offer as it gave her something to do when she wasn't working. She hated sitting around and she didn't like the idea of a bunch of strangers in her place all the time. Her mother had begged her to be careful and call her doctor immediately if she felt something was wrong. Kimberly promised her mother she would and that was the end of it. Besides, it gave her time to think about things. It actually helped her. It was like her own therapy and hey, it was free. Well, mostly free.

It had been almost two weeks to the day when she had been leaving the gym later than usual. It was probably close to eight thirty and she was exhausted. She was twenty weeks and felt like she was starting to waddle. She had been walking to her car after making sure that the coast was clear as the gym was situated one door down from the Youth Center, she had just turned the key in the car door when she heard familiar laughter coming from her favorite old hang out. She felt her pulse quicken and immediately her hands started sweating. She dropped her keys and cursed. She had to do this weird sort of squat to get them and she could hear the familiar voices getting closer. She prayed that they paid her no mind.

Tommy, Adam, Rocky, Kat and Tanya had just been leaving the Youth Center around eight thirty that Friday night. They had stayed to help Ernie close up. They were walking back to their cars and laughing at a joke Rocky made. Adam looked up at just the right moment and saw a woman, struggling to pick her keys up from the ground.

"Hey guys," Adam said, "I'm gonna go see if she needs help." He nodded in the direction of the woman in the gymnastics parking lot wearing grey flared sweat pants and a navy blue jacket that said A.G. Gymnastics Studio in white block letters across the back and she looked very pregnant. The rest of the group nodded, continuing to talk and Adam stopped dead after she picked up her keys. He squinted his eyes a little to focus better in the dark and half turned to his friends, "Uhhh, guys…does she look familiar to you?" The group looked up and watched the woman get into her car.

"Is that…" Katherine started, pointing at the blue cavalier that backed out of the parking space and then started out of the parking lot.

"I swear it looked just like her," Adam said, stunned.

"Couldn't be," Rocky said looking confused, "I mean we were all there when she said goodbye and left for the airport."

"Guys, come on, Kim's in Florida doing the gymnastics thing and the night is probably just messing with our eyes," Tommy tried to convince them, "She wouldn't come home and not tell us. She certainly wouldn't be in that condition and not tell us."

"Tommy, you can't be that sure," Katherine said, gently placing a hand on his arm.

"Sure I can," he lied, "You know what they say; everybody's got a twin out there." The others let out a laugh and Tommy hoped he had convinced them. He knew it was her. He'd know her anywhere. They said their goodbyes and got in their cars and drove home. Tommy got into his apartment and made a beeline for his phone in the kitchen. He immediately made the only long distance phone call that would give him answers.

"Trini," he said once he heard her voice on the line, "Where is she?" On the other end and half a world away, Trini's jaw dropped. She knew she couldn't lie to her former leader and she didn't want to but she didn't want betray her best friend either. So she said the only thing she could.

"4015 Chestnut Drive. Apartment 14C on the third floor," Trini responded. Tommy didn't say a word, as Trini knew he wouldn't. He hung up the phone and was out the door again.