[Power Rangers] Kat x Tommy, #3, new
Title: Time To Move On
Author: cynthia_harrell
Fandom: Power Rangers
Pairing: Kat x Tommy
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit.
Notes: I'm using the 'Double Night' challenge for this. Prompt used is 'new'
Time slipped through their fingers. They all knew that they had to find their replacements; Dimitria had made it clear that the days were counting down. She hadn’t seemed to stress it that much with Justin, which didn’t surprise the elder four Turbo Rangers. He’d barely had his powers four months, after all. Whoever succeeded them would have at least one quasi-experienced Ranger on the team.
But finding those replacements remained the hardest part. There were so many people in Angel Grove who fit the qualifications, being trustworthy, of good heart, sound mind, and a healthy body, and yet none of them really clicked to Kat, no matter how much she tried to make her decision.
I don’t think it was this hard for Kim. She knew the situation there was incredibly different, but that didn’t make it any easier.
She’d spent an hour on the phone with Kim, in fact, just the night before, trying to get any sort of advice from her predecessor on what could make a great Pink Ranger.
“You’ll find the right person. The Power kind of makes sure that you all will. Don’t worry so much about it.” Kim’s warm laugh echoed in Kat’s ears even now. “Trust me. You’ll see.”
She had to believe Kim was right. Looking back at the way the power had passed from person to person, it really was. Whenever a Ranger or Rangers chose to move on, someone who was perfect for the position turned up. So one of those she’d been watching would step out in some fashion and she would make her choice then.
Until then, they had something else they were doing: planning for one last campout together before the great transfer and beginning to spread out into the world.
Kat tried not to think about the plane ticket kept in a box in her room at her parents’ house. One way to London. She still couldn’t wrap her head around the fact this was actually going to happen. She would not only leave the home that she’d made here over the last couple of years, but she’d be doing so to pursue a career in dancing.
And taking college classes while I’m at it. Kat loved dancing, but she knew that a dancer’s career was only a few years long at most. Some went on to teach, and some did go beyond the expected, but she still wanted to do something else with her life. Architecture and design called to her very clearly.
“I think we’re just about ready.” Tommy tossed the last of his own bags into his truck and looked over at her. She pulled herself quickly out of her thoughts and offered him a warm smile.
“I think so too.” She stepped over to him, welcoming his warm arms around her, and touched her lips to his.
They still hadn’t talked about how their relationship would go once she was in England and he was still here in Angel Grove. Whenever they were alone together, the concept loomed up between them, the elephant in the room, what they knew and simply didn’t refer to in any way.
There’s too much that we’re not talking about. It didn’t feel wrong to ignore all of it, but it didn’t feel right either. They would, sooner or later. There wasn’t any way to get around it. But sooner or later wasn’t now, and now Kat wished they’d already said something to clear the air.
Tommy squeezed her one more time, then pulled away to get into the driver’s seat. “I kind of wish Jason could’ve come with us.”
“He’s busy, you know that.” Kat moved over to get in on the other side. “You two can have your own little guy campout later,” she teased, a hint of merriment floating around her lips.
From the way he perked up, Kat had a feeling that campout would happen the moment both the boys had a weekend free. She would have to thank Jason for it, once it happened.
For now, however, she leaned back and closed her eyes, trying to get her thoughts into something that resembled order. There wasn’t enough time. There’d been time and then it vanished. Where it had all gone, she had no idea. It just wasn’t there anymore.
“Still no luck finding anyone?” Tommy asked, with something of the air of someone who would fill up the empty space in a conversation whether he actually wanted to or not.
“No. No one seems right. You?” She knew the answer even before she asked the question. How could it be anything else?
“No.” As she’d suspected. Tommy kept on driving, his eyes and mind properly on the road. “We have to pick someone soon.”
A shiver ran all through Kat at the words. She knew their truth like he did, but hearing it said out loud made it seem so much more real. That was why she hadn’t tried to say it herself. She didn’t want it to be real.
Being a Power Ranger had been the center of all of their lives for so long. Some more than others, of course-Tanya had only had a year or so to compare to Tommy’s term of service-but it meant the same thing to all of them. Being part of the battle to save the world was what their lives had been about all this time. Being without that kept Kat’s eyes open at night, staring up into the shadows of her room.
Did I do a good enough job? Did I make up for what happened? The questions echoed in her mind repeatedly and she didn’t have answers to them. Could she make up for them? Was it even possible? Would living a normal life without powers help to do that?
Would Divatox leave them alone? None of their other enemies had ever bothered any of the former Rangers on any kind of a regular basis. Divatox had kidnapped Jason and Kim, but that was a one-time event. Maybe if she needed someone else as a sacrifice.
Well, if she needs a virgin sacrifice, Tommy and I don’t qualify for that anymore. Her cheeks heated up at that and she turned her attention a little more aggressively toward the scenery going by. This is driving me insane. I think I want to give up being a Ranger just to get it over with by now.
She looked over when Tommy’s hand wrapped around her own. “I really wish we didn’t have to do this.”
“So do I. But you know what Dimitria said.” Tommy sighed, tightening his grip as he spoke. “We can’t stay Power Rangers forever. No one can.”
“Right.” Kat ran the fingers of her free hand over Tommy’s knuckles. “We have to go have lives of our own.” She could understand it. That didn’t mean it made all of this any easier.
If they’d just found someone right away, someone who embodied everything that Kat knew a Power Ranger should be, then it wouldn’t have been nearly this hard. All of this stress was just because they didn’t have anyone chosen, and the last day was almost on them.
Perhaps that was why she finally said what hadn’t been said before. “Do you want to stay together…after?”
Tommy didn’t say anything for almost a mile, and Kat wondered if she’d have to repeat it. He spoke up before she could. “Yes. I love you, Kat.”
“But…” She didn’t pull her hand away. She didn’t want to. She wanted to keep feeling his warmth there for so long as she possibly could. “Are you sure?”
“You know I am. If we ever break up, it’s not going to be because we’re far apart.” A grin touched his lips, just visible from the corner of her eye. “Besides, it’s not like we can’t ever see each other again. I’ll get time off from the track and you can come over during the off-season, right?”
Kat had to laugh. After all of that fretting and worrying, just a few simple words broke through the confusion that gripped her so hard. “Right.” She would start saving for a plane ticket home as soon as she got there. She might not get to visit as often as she would’ve liked, but she would see him again. “Besides, we can write to each other and make phone calls.”
She knew, and she knew that he knew, it wouldn’t be as easy as all that. There was so much that could put a strain on a relationship with thousands of miles between them. They both had seen it happen before. But she wanted to fight for this as much as he did.
“And e-mail. Don’t forget that.” Neither of them were especially computer literate, but it wouldn’t be that hard to figure out.
“Right. And who knows maybe we can get Dimitria to let us teleport in every now and then.” Zordon would have, Kat knew, though they’d never asked for something like this from their new mentor. Even if she didn’t, they had other options.
Tommy dropped her hand as they came to a tricky stretch of road that would lead them to their chosen camping site. Kat ran her fingers over where he’d touched her, remembering the feeling of his callused hands on her own warm skin. Even with all of their plans to stay in touch, she wanted to remember what it felt like to touch him. She didn’t want that to fade out of her memory for a single moment.
Inch by inch, the lines of tension that had held onto both of them for the last couple of weeks eased up. Some still remained, but that wasn’t unexpected, given their state of not having chosen their successors. Kat couldn’t help but wonder what Tommy really thought of all of this. He hadn’t stopped being a Ranger for more than a few months at a time since the day Rita chose him. Being one was woven into his heart and soul.
Kat’s thoughts wandered from place to place as they drove out of the city and deeper into the woods where Tanya, Adam, and Justin already awaited them, probably up to their ears in camping preparations by now. Given their differing schedules, it only made sense for some of them to go first and get the tents and campfire set up before the others arrived.
She had to admit she wished their other friends would be there as well, even the ones she’d never actually met. The thought of seeing people such as Zack or Trini, who were only names and pictures to her, sent an anticipatory thrill through her. She knew why, too: Tommy. They were his friends, and she wanted to meet all of his friends and she hoped that they liked her. From what she’d heard, she believed she’d like them.
“You think Divatox is going to get up to something while we’re out of town?” Tommy asked, his thoughts on tangents far from her own. Kat laughed.
“I think it would be a lot stranger if she didn’t do something while we’re gone.” Thank goodness for teleporting. Whenever Divatox struck, they’d be able to get back in time to do something about it. The only real problem would be the inevitable stress of waiting for it to happen.
That would be one definite benefit of no longer being Power Rangers. They could go off on trips like this and not have to worry about if someone tried to destroy the world yet again. That was probably why Dimitria insisted on them passing the power to someone else. No one could, or should, live with that kind of stress in their lives forever.
“When are they expecting us again?” Tommy asked, glancing at the clock.
“Not for another half hour or so. We should be there in plenty of time.” Kat reached for her water bottle, thinking once again of all the girls she’d seen at Angel Grove High over the last few months, all of those who might possibly be able to be the Pink Ranger. She didn’t know why they didn’t fit in her mind. There wasn’t anything actually wrong with them. She just didn’t think they were the one.
Well, for now she’d put the whole topic to rest. There wasn’t much else that she could do that she hadn’t done. Whoever her successor was, she’d find her. Somehow.
Of all the ways to have a bad day. Tommy struggled harder, yanking at the ropes that bound him over the pit. He’d had quite a few bad days in his life, most of them related to one villain or another, but this one more or less took the cake.
She would do this today. Divatox couldn’t have waited until next week or done it last week. No, today, the day, when they had a camping trip and a countdown to figuring out their successors, was when she decided it was time to take him out. Yeah, like no one’s ever tried this before. Wonder if I should give her Gasket’s phone number.
He’d figure that out another time. Right now, he needed to find a way to get out of here before those rats ate through the rope all the way. The one it started out with now had a companion up there, the two of them nibbling and sniffing at the peanut butter Divatox had smeared on it. From the squeaks he could hear, there would be more soon. Just what he didn’t need. Where was a cat when he needed one?
Rethinking what he’d just thought, Tommy managed something that sort of resembled a choked off laugh. Kat. I wish you were here. She might not be able to change into a cat anymore, but at least that would mean he wasn’t in danger of falling down into this pit of whatever the heck it was. He couldn’t remember what Divatox and her mother called it. Nor did he especially care.
Divatox’s mother. That was a shock; he’d never actually thought that she had one. He’d sort of envisioned her crawling out from under a rock somewhere, much like Elgar must have. He couldn’t imagine what the rest of the family must be like. He wasn’t sure if he even wanted to try.
He strained at the ropes again, glancing toward the cave opening as he did. The guards Divatox left stared back at him. He knew he could take them once he got out, or at least he could have before having crashed his truck. At least he had insurance on it, and living in Angel Grove meant that ‘I was caught up in a monster attack’ was something the company would reimburse him for.
What worried him more than anything at the moment except the fact he was about to fall into a hellpit was Kat. He did his best not to think about her too much and to put all of his efforts into escape, but her face floated in the back of his mind nevertheless. He’d done what he could to get her out of danger, but he didn’t know if it had worked. Had the Piranhatrons captured her too? Was she somewhere he couldn’t see, maybe being forced to watch this? Was that why Divatox had left instead of remaining to watch him fall?
He wouldn’t put it past the space pirate. Anything that could cause them more trouble was right on her to-do list.
Tommy tried to calm himself. He could make it through this. He would make it through this. Then he’d find Kat and they’d finish up their camping trip and find their successors and go on to have a normal life.
A normal life. He’d never thought he’d want one as much as he did now. After the last few years, he’d grown so used to being a Power Ranger that he’d never thought of being anything else. Now he wanted something else. He’d looked death in the eyes enough times already.
What he wanted was a life with Kat. He wasn’t going to deny her the dream of going to London, no matter what, but he knew what he wanted. And he had something in his pocket he wanted to give her.
Neither one of them was ready for a full on commitment to marriage. He knew that. Too much lay ahead of both of them, he with his racing and her with her dancing. But in the future, a hazy kind of dream that he’d found himself thinking more and more of over the last few months, he hoped the time would come. Until then, what he wanted to do was ask her for a promise, to at least keep him in mind.
He’d meant everything he’d told her in the truck. He loved her. He wanted to stay with her, even when all those thousands of miles separated them. But he didn’t want to keep her attached beyond reason, just in case.
It wasn’t the first time in his life that he and the one he loved were far apart and matters fell through. He didn’t want it to be the second, but if Kat found someone else, then he’d do exactly what he did with Kimberly, and let her go.
How could he do anything else?
He tilted his head back to try and get an idea of how close he was to freeing himself. He wasn’t at all surprised to find that the answer hadn’t changed from the moment he’d been tied up: nowhere close at all. Divatox had actually done a good job on this trap. Except for the part where he wasn’t going to let it work, of course.
Light gleamed off his communicator and he did his best to wriggle a finger closer to it. If he could touch the right button, he could teleport out of here entirely, ropes and all.
The hard part of that was that he didn’t have nearly enough wiggle room for his fingers as he needed. He could almost brush the device with the tip of one finger, but he wasn’t near the right button. I think I should call up Billy and see if we can get these things redesigned.
Well, he wouldn’t actually need to call him, but talking to him about this would definitely be something to take care of as soon as possible. The new Rangers might have to worry about this one of these days. He had no plans to leave his successor hanging around like he was.
He kicked and struggled harder, trying to get any sort of leverage in order to do something. He wasn’t going to hang here like a piece of meat until the ropes were eaten through and he fell. He had to believe Kat was safe, and even if she wasn’t, that Justin, Tanya, and Adam would find out what was going on. Dimitria and Alpha were keeping an eye on them, given how close to the time it was, and they would surely know what was going on with him and Kat.
He just had to wait, that was all. The problem with that was that Tommy wasn’t very good at waiting.
If he thought it would’ve done any good, he would’ve tried to trick one of the Piranhatrons into letting him go. But none of were smart enough to get tricked in the first place.
Something would work out. It had to.
No sooner had Flamite gone up in a cloud of fire and smoke did the Power Rangers teleport back to their headquarters. The moment they landed, Kat hurried over to Tommy, worry written in her eyes.
“Are you all right?” She knew that he had to be; he wouldn’t have been able to join the fight if he wasn’t, but she had to ask anyway. She had to know. “What happened?”
“Divatox.” He shrugged; it wasn’t anything they couldn’t have guessed. “She had me over some kind of pit.” It took him a moment to remember the name. “The Vortex of Eternal Doom and Sorrow.”
Adam blinked and shook his head. “Where do they get names like that from?”
“You got me.” Tommy shrugged again and Kat had to agree; for all of the months she’d spent as Rita’s pawn, she still didn’t get some of the way that beings of evil thought. “Anyway, I got lucky. These two kids found me and managed to get me out of there.”
Kat took a step toward him. “Two kids…a boy and a girl?” Ever since she’d seen Cassie, something warm glowed in the deepest pit of her heart, the part of her where the power lay nestled close and caring.
“That’s right.” Tommy’s lips twitched. “I think I know who I’m going to choose. T.J. really struck me as the right guy for the job.”
Kat’s smile widened as well. “I know how you feel.” She glanced down to her hand and twisted it for a moment, calling up her Turbo Key. “What about you guys?”
Tanya and Adam exchanged a quick look before they nodded. “We’ve got ours picked too.”
Dimitria’s warm voice spoke up from the tube. “If you have made your decisions, then the time has come at last.”
All four of the elder Rangers nodded in agreement. One by one, those who hadn’t yet called up their Keys and set them down. Kat brushed her fingers over hers.
“It’s hard to believe.” In a matter of moments, all of the indecision and doubts she’d had about who to choose vanished without a trace. She could already see Kim’s amused face in her mind’s eye, and hear her voice reminding her that she’d told her so already.
“I’m ready.” Tommy’s fingers brushed across hers and she looked up toward him.
“So am I.” And she was. Far more so than she’d ever imagined she would’ve been just a little while ago.
Once the choices were made, it still took another day before the actual ceremony happened. They needed time to contact certain other interested parties, and to speak to the newly chosen Rangers themselves. Being a Power Ranger was a choice that could only be offered, never truly forced upon another person. Even Tommy had had a chance to give up the Green Ranger powers when he’d first been freed of Rita’s spell.
But the hour struck and one by one the Power Rangers (or ex-Rangers, as they technically were now) entered the chamber to commence the grand ceremony.
The moment Tommy, Kat, Adam, and Tanya entered the room, a clear voice rang across it. “Hey, guys!”
“Kim!” Kat’s eyes lit up at the sight of her friend and the two young women hurried over to squeeze hands. “Glad you could make it!”
The brunette grinned at them all. “There wasn’t any way that I’d miss this. None of us would.” She glanced over her shoulder to where five other figures stood ranged: Jason, Zack, Trini, Billy, Aisha, and Rocky, then looked back to Kat. “I told you that you’d find the right person, didn’t I?”
“You did.” Kat didn’t mind being told ‘I told you so’, especially when she had.
“I can’t wait to talk to them. This is so exciting!”
“Indeed it is, Kimberly.” A well-known and well-loved voice spoke up from the second energy tube in the room. Everyone grinned at the sight of Zordon and Alpha-5; it had been far too long.
As much as they all wanted to get caught up, something far more important had to happen first. Kim stepped back to join the others, while the new former ex-Rangers stood and waited as Dimitria began her speech.
Kat knew that Cassie had accepted being a Power Ranger. Dimitria would’ve told her otherwise. That didn’t stop a certain amount of nervousness as the new Rangers stepped forward to be welcomed by their predecessors, one that didn’t fade until her eyes firmly caught sight of the young woman now wearing the Pink Turbo uniform.
For a moment her gaze flicked across the room to where Kim stood watching. Was this what her own predecessor had felt when passing the Pink Power Coin to her? Something like it, at least, Kat was certain. A merging of concern and pride, of knowing that the person you’d chosen couldn’t have any idea of what was going to happen to them, but knowing they would face it with pride and strength.
All too soon the ceremony ended, the new Rangers properly aware of what they would have to face, and their choice to see it through confirmed. Cassie, T.J., Ashley, Carlos, and Justin came down from the crystal dais, demorphed into their ordinary selves now, and looked at the others standing there, curiosity written over four sets of features.
“Guys, when Dimitria called us a family, she wasn’t kidding.” Tommy gestured to them all. “We’re all ex-Rangers here. And if you need help, just call us and we’ll do what we can.”
Introductions and quiet conversations whispered into existence around them soon. Tommy only let it go on for so long before he tugged Kat over to a quiet corner of the room.
“Hey, do you want to get out of here? I think the camping trip’s a bust but how about some dinner? It’s just about time for it.”
She nodded, her stomach offering its own opinion on the matter as a throaty little roar that sent scorching heat up her cheeks.
“Guys,” she turned toward everyone else quickly, “Tommy and I are going to get something to eat. See you later.”
Everyone waved, with varying levels of attention, and Tommy caught her hand in his before they teleported out for what they knew could be the last time. Any other visits would be because of necessity more than anything else, and no one knew when, or if, they would be needed.
Long shadows of night stretched all around them as they headed toward their favorite restaurant, a quiet place tucked into a small corner of Angel Grove, known for its cozy atmosphere and delicious food. It served an amazing variety of dishes, and the half-dozen times Kat and Tommy had come here, she was certain she’d found a new item on the menu every time.
No reservations were required and they were soon shown into a table in the back. Other diners sat at their own, their conversations providing a low, musical backdrop. Kat closed her eyes, leaned back, and let out a deep, heartfelt sigh. She didn’t want to cry, but after everything that happened in the last few days, she wasn’t surprised to feel tears pricking at her eyes.
Tommy’s hand, as it so often did, closed around her own. “It’s all right,” he murmured to her, and that was what she needed to hear. Slow tears slipped down her cheeks, burning their way through her. A soft brush of fabric turned out to be a handkerchief and she picked it up, wiping her eyes and cheeks. She didn’t know where he found it; she didn’t think he carried one. But there it was all the same.
“This is really silly of me.” She hadn’t even cried when they’d graduated, though her parents both had. This meant so much more, though. It was something of a graduation in and of itself, a crossroads.
“No, it isn’t.” Tommy ducked his head for a moment before he caught her gaze, warm brown eyes looking into bright blue. “When I lost my powers the first time, I did the same thing. I went home that night and I thought I was fine. I thought I’d be all right with never worrying about hearing that call again. I was wrong.” He shook his head. “I thought I’d never stop, actually. It was like part of me was torn out of me. I never really felt right until I got them back, either.”
Kat slowly nodded, sniffling as she did. She didn’t entirely feel that way, but she understood what he said. He lost his powers, he didn’t give them up. That can make a difference. But it was close enough.
Seeing her glass of water in front of her, she took a long drink, trying her best to get everything sorted out in her head. She’d thought she’d done this before the transfer ever happened, but even after it being a solid reality, everything inside of her was jumbled and out of sorts.
“I think I’m going to wake up tomorrow and not know what to do with myself.” She wrapped her fingers around her communicator. Traditionally, or so her contacts with Jason, Rocky, and Billy had shown her, ex-Rangers only wore those if they were still going to and from the Power Chamber regularly.
“We’ll figure it out.” Tommy promised. He hesitated for a moment, one hand going to his jacket pocket, then looked at her. “Kat…Katherine…”
“Hm?” Kat dabbed at her eyes one more time before turning to look at him. He didn’t always call her by her full name so she wondered what was on his mind.
Tommy didn’t say anything. What he did was pull a small box out of his pocket and set it in front of her. Kat stared at it for nearly a minute before she picked it up and opened it. She knew it was a ring before she did, but seeing it glimmer in the light caught her breath in her throat.
“I hope you like it. Jason and Kim helped me pick it out when they were here before graduation.” Tommy fidgeted some, peeking a little at her. “It’s a promise ring. I love you, Kat, and I’d really like to marry you someday, if you want that too.”
Kat slowly plucked the ring from the white velvet cushion and watched the light gleam off the tiny emerald there. “It’s my birthstone,” she murmured, admiring the beauty of it.
“Yeah. I thought you’d like that.” He fidgeted even more, picking his napkin up and putting it down. She could all but see the nervousness leaking off of him as she reached for his hand.
“It’s beautiful.” She offered him the ring, a small smile curving her lips up. “Would you put it on me?”
For a moment she thought Tommy stopped breathing. Then he took the ring, picked up her right hand, and slid it onto her ring finger there. She made a note to find out his ring size from one of their friends and get him one as well. I should’ve thought of this myself. She’d had a thousand other problems on her mind, she knew, but she still berated herself just a little.
Tommy folded his hand over hers once the ring was on her finger and they stared at one another, eyes full of a mutual joy. The ring felt right on her hand, as if it were a tiny part of her that she hadn’t missed until it was there and didn’t need to be anymore.
Their meal came shortly afterward, and Kat couldn’t have been more grateful. She wanted at least a little time to sort through everything and get it all put together properly in her head. The ring on her finger wasn’t unwelcome by any means, but it did throw another mental wrench into her works. Another point she would need to calculate into her future, as it were.
Promises weren’t always kept, but she wanted this one to be, no matter how long it took. The future lay before them, mostly unmapped, waiting for them to find their way through it all.
“Are you going to tell your parents?” Tommy asked as they headed for her place, hand in hand.
“I think so. I just don’t know when.” Kat knew they approved of Tommy, but this was still a step, and it was something she did want them to know about. Even if they didn’t approve, she wouldn’t have let that interfere with their choices. She would just have taken more caution in what they did and where.
Their path led them by Angel Grove Lake, and both of them sent a wary glance in that direction. Divatox was probably still smarting from their destruction of Flamite and the loss of a chance to kill Tommy, but being wary was never a bad idea around their enemies.
She could’ve killed Tommy. And I wouldn’t have even had a body. The thought of that sent even more chills down her spine. Dying was something they dealt with every day, or at least the chance of it. But there would be something to mourn over, a way to have closure and move on. She’d seen death happen before, and while it was never pretty, it was still a part of life, something to be dealt with.
Maybe that was one of the reasons she’d accepted the ring. Not the only one, not even the strongest one, but a desire to have at least a little extra memory of Tommy, something that she could hold onto and mourn if the time ever came. Even without being Power Rangers, he was a racecar driver now. More than one fatal accident happened to those, much more so than martial arts instructors or whatever else Tommy might decide to do with his life.
She didn’t want to say anything like that to him, though. How could she? At least not now. Perhaps it would be one of those topics they talked about years in the future, when death looked more like an old friend come to visit than a creature rising up to snatch them from behind.
Eventually they stood outside of the Hillard home, looking at one another as they had so many other times, still hand in hand.
“So you’re heading out to London next month, right?”
“Right.”
“You’re going to be great, Kat. I know it. You’re incredible.” He lifted up her hand and touched his lips to her knuckles, bringing a smile to her lips. “I just wish I could be there for your first performance.”
A soft laugh made its way out of her throat. “I don’t even know when that will be.” It wouldn’t be anything big, she knew that. She would have to start at the beginning, just like everyone else. But it would happen, sooner or later.
“Yeah. Well, I know I’ll see you up there on stage one of these days.” He still didn’t release her hands and she wasn’t in any hurry for him to do so.
She leaned closer to him, resting her head against his chest. “I’d tell you to be careful, but I know you won’t be.”
“Can’t be careful on the track and win.” Tommy pointed out, eyes glinting with that thrill for excitement that was one of the many points that drew her to him.
They moved closer, arms sliding around one another, and lips touched lips with growing passion. Kat almost regretted not telling her parents she was staying over with him. They would’ve understood, knowing that she would be leaving far too soon. Wanting to spend more time with him was only natural. And she did, she really did. But tonight would not be that night.
But she would take all the nights she could from here on out.
“So, you think he’s going to ask her?” Kim nudged Jason a little, eyes bright with hope. Jason didn’t have to ask who she meant. Not after a certain trip the three of them had made some months before.
“I know he is.” Jason knew Tommy; he wouldn’t have wanted to put Kat on the spot by asking her about the promise ring in front of everyone.
Kim nodded, a warm smile playing about her lips. Jason hadn’t ever asked her about her own feelings; he trusted her to handle them on her own, without him being the overprotective big brother. He kept that for people who bothered her too much, and there hadn’t been anyone like that in quite some time.
“So what about you and what’s her name…Emily?” Kim prodded him once again, avidly curious. “When do I get to meet her?”
“Soon!” Jason held off a laugh; he’d wanted Kim to meet his girlfriend when they were in town for the Little Angels’ Shelter, but Emily hadn’t been able to make it herself. So much had been going on then anyway. He hadn’t wanted to have to explain to her why he’d vanished for a couple of days anyway. He thought sometimes that she suspected what he’d used to do.
Kim leaned back against the wall, uncomfortable as it had to be, and watched the new Rangers for a few moments. She and Cassie had been talking about something before she’d come over to Jason; he thought it involved music of some kind. He hadn’t been able to hear it, being mostly caught up in discussing the problems of being a leader with T.J. Tommy had held the position longer than he did, but T.J. didn’t seem to care, just wanting to talk about the whole concept.
“I’m really happy for both of them.” Jason didn’t think she was talking about their new friends. Not with that tone of voice. He knew her too well to think that anyway.
“Regrets?” He chose the word on purpose, wanting her to say only what she felt like saying. He knew about the letter; not only had she talked to him about it before ever sending it, but he’d had a phone call from Tommy not long after it arrived.
She didn’t answer at once. “I don’t know.” Her sigh was heartfelt. “I don’t think so, though. Just…wondering a little.” She shook her head. “I want them to be happy, I know that.”
“And I know that’s what they both want for you.” Jason tilted his head, eyebrows going up in curiosity. “What about …what’s his name?” For the life of him he couldn’t remember the name of the man she’d met in Florida. He knew that she’d told him, but it just didn’t stay in his head.
Kim swatted him on the arm, any melancholy thoughts dissipating. “He’s gone home for a visit. I’ve probably missed at least one call from him being here.” She didn’t sound especially worried about that and Jason decided he would have to keep an eye on what developed here. This guy might be Kim’s perfect man, but even the perfect man had to deal with certain honorary relatives.
Kat dropped the suitcase by the door, next to the other three awaiting her. For a few moments she stood and looked at them, before going back upstairs to check her room one last time.
It didn’t look like ‘her’ room anymore. All of her pictures and everything that she’d added here since they’d moved in were now all in one of those suitcases. Even the bed had been stripped; her bedspread packed and the sheets in the washer.
Tommy’s hand rested on her shoulder. “Are you ready?” He would take her to the airport. Her parents would come along, of course, and Tanya and Adam would meet them there. She’d hoped Justin would’ve been able to come, but a combination of homework and Divatox’s meddling meant he had too much on his plate for the moment.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Kat turned and followed him down the stairs until they stood by the door again. She didn’t waste any time, picking up two of her suitcases and heading out to where Tommy’s new truck waited for them.
Just like passing her powers onto Cassie, this all seemed like some kind of weird and wild dream, up until the moment came when it happened. Now she really would be living in London and studying dance, just as she’d wanted for so long.
“Sorry I’ll miss your race.” Kat wished her flight could be rescheduled, but not everything worked out the way that one hoped. “I know you’re going to win.”
Tommy only shrugged, grinning. “I’ll call and let you know what happened.”
“Don’t forget about the time difference.” She’d drummed that into her own head for weeks already. Seven hours between here in Angel Grove and London, five between Florida and London. She wanted to make certain she could keep in touch with all of her friends. It was almost as hard as keeping in mind the difference between Angel Grove and where she’d lived in Australia.
“I won’t, I won’t.” Tommy settled the suitcases he’d carried out into the back of the truck next to the ones she’d put in there.
Silence fell between them as they settled inside. Her parents were already in their own car and pulling out of the driveway. Kat watched as Tommy backed out, her stomach squirming with nerves that she wished she didn’t have.
“You all right?” He asked the question quietly, not looking at her.
“I…” She hesitated, a watery little smile appearing on her lips. “I’m not really sure how to answer that. I’m not worried. I know this is going to work out. But…”
He smiled as well, and that warmed her deeper inside. “But you’re nervous, right?”
“Right.” How could she not be? It wasn’t the kind of nerves that would lock her up from doing anything, but the kind that made her fear what would happen when she did something, no matter what it was.
To his credit, Tommy didn’t tell her that she was fretting over nothing. He just patted her hand in his best comforting manner - she had yet to tell him that just his presence comforted her more than anything else ever could - and headed on to the airport.
Kat let her mind wander. Her classes for college wouldn’t start for another month, giving her time to get settled into the dance school’s routine first. That had been Kim’s advice; she was doing much the same in Florida, taking college classes in horticulture and gardening while preparing herself for the next big gymnastics competition. Stressful, she’d called it, but worth every minute. Accomplishing childhood dreams didn’t mean that was where their futures ended.
She glanced at Tommy and wondered what else he’d do with his life once he didn’t want to race anymore. She didn’t know when, or even if, really, he’d change his mind about that, but if it happened, she couldn’t help but just…wonder. Would he go into business with Rocky at the dojo? Start up his own somewhere in Angel Grove? Do something else that had nothing to do with the martial arts?
Perhaps do as Billy had and move off planet to work with Power Rangers somewhere else? Zordon had mentioned that was a possibility for Billy, now that he lived on Aquitar. Whether it was one for them she didn’t know, but Tommy would be a good candidate if any of them were.
For now, though, he looked just as happy as a fish in deep water when it came to zooming around the track. It satisfied his adrenaline needs almost as much as fighting monsters on a weekly basis had. So whatever it was, she felt assured that it would involve risking his life on some level. That was what Tommy did.
She ran her fingers over the promise ring, wondering what she would do if he did decide to leave the planet. Better not to worry about it right now. She had enough to keep herself occupied before she started fretting over things that would probably not happen.
“I heard the Rangers had a fight with Divatox the other day.” Tommy spoke up. “Some kind of anger spell or something.”
“Yeah, Justin was telling me about it.” The youngest Ranger still kept in close touch with all of them, even without fighting together. “They managed it pretty well, though.”
“They’re doing just fine.” Pride flickered through Tommy’s voice, pride that she shared. It was good to know that their successors were doing such a good job of keeping the world safe from Divatox. So far she hadn’t shown any signs of wanting to take out her anger on the now ex-Rangers, which was all to the good so far as Kat was concerned. Let her focus on the ones who stood opposed to her now.
Closer and closer the airport grew, and Kat held back every scrap of anxiety, focusing on the anticipation instead. A new home. A new chapter of her life starting, one that she would write herself, by her own choice. She never regretted a moment of being a Ranger, though she could’ve easily managed without being Rita’s pawn first.
Far sooner than she would’ve liked, she stood with her suitcases and her friends there, all of those who had been able to make it. Tanya and Adam both hugged her, while Rocky grinned and wished her well. She hadn’t expected him there, in all honesty, but there he stood.
“Kim said hi, by the way,” he told Kat, “and she said she’ll be waiting for you to call her.”
Kat nodded; she had a long list of people that she would call once she had her phone set up properly there. One of her ‘going-away’ presents was a thick address book that held the name, number, and address of every single Power Ranger and ex-Ranger with the sole exception of Trey of Triforia. Even Billy had added one, mentioning that he was hard at work on getting more reliable communications set up between Aquitar and Earth. Their planet might not be ready for the full on knowledge that alien cultures existed in peaceful harmony, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t make a few phone calls in the meantime.
Both of her parents hugged her, her mother brushing one hand through her hair. “I can’t wait to see you up on stage. You’re going to get all the best roles, I know it.”
“I hope so.” Kat wasn’t as certain about that as her mother was; she knew it would take time to work up to that level of skill. Still, there wasn’t any reason to deny it just yet. “You two take care of yourselves.” They would be home alone without her now, for the first time since she’d been born.
Her father looked over at Tommy. Kat had told them both about the promise ring shortly after he’d given it to her. “Tommy, if Kat ever has to call me and tell me that you’ve hurt yourself racing, I’m going to be upset with you.”
“Don’t worry, Mr. Hillard. I’m going to do my best to make sure that doesn’t happen.” Tommy promised. Kat decided moving to England was a very good idea and in fact considered asking Dimitria what Eltar or Inquiris were like.
Though it could’ve been worse. Her father could’ve tried being intimidating. She didn’t think that would’ve worked all that well, given his height and build versus Tommy’s.
“Good luck, Kat,” her father said, patting her on the arm. “We’re going to miss you.”
“I’ll miss you guys too.” She hugged everyone one more time before picking up her carry-on. Tommy caught her free hand and she looked back at him.
“I love you, Kat.” He didn’t say it when it was more than just the two of them very often, and she smiled back at him, fighting back a sudden surge of tears.
“I love you, too, Tommy.” There was so much more that ached to be said, and none of it could be. Some words didn’t need to be spoken to be known. She kissed him quickly, holding him for a few moments before turning away and heading for her flight. As much as she would’ve liked to stay there forever with them all, her future called to her and she wouldn’t let it wait.
The End
Author: cynthia_harrell
Fandom: Power Rangers
Pairing: Kat x Tommy
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit.
Notes: I'm using the 'Double Night' challenge for this. Prompt used is 'new'
Time slipped through their fingers. They all knew that they had to find their replacements; Dimitria had made it clear that the days were counting down. She hadn’t seemed to stress it that much with Justin, which didn’t surprise the elder four Turbo Rangers. He’d barely had his powers four months, after all. Whoever succeeded them would have at least one quasi-experienced Ranger on the team.
But finding those replacements remained the hardest part. There were so many people in Angel Grove who fit the qualifications, being trustworthy, of good heart, sound mind, and a healthy body, and yet none of them really clicked to Kat, no matter how much she tried to make her decision.
I don’t think it was this hard for Kim. She knew the situation there was incredibly different, but that didn’t make it any easier.
She’d spent an hour on the phone with Kim, in fact, just the night before, trying to get any sort of advice from her predecessor on what could make a great Pink Ranger.
“You’ll find the right person. The Power kind of makes sure that you all will. Don’t worry so much about it.” Kim’s warm laugh echoed in Kat’s ears even now. “Trust me. You’ll see.”
She had to believe Kim was right. Looking back at the way the power had passed from person to person, it really was. Whenever a Ranger or Rangers chose to move on, someone who was perfect for the position turned up. So one of those she’d been watching would step out in some fashion and she would make her choice then.
Until then, they had something else they were doing: planning for one last campout together before the great transfer and beginning to spread out into the world.
Kat tried not to think about the plane ticket kept in a box in her room at her parents’ house. One way to London. She still couldn’t wrap her head around the fact this was actually going to happen. She would not only leave the home that she’d made here over the last couple of years, but she’d be doing so to pursue a career in dancing.
And taking college classes while I’m at it. Kat loved dancing, but she knew that a dancer’s career was only a few years long at most. Some went on to teach, and some did go beyond the expected, but she still wanted to do something else with her life. Architecture and design called to her very clearly.
“I think we’re just about ready.” Tommy tossed the last of his own bags into his truck and looked over at her. She pulled herself quickly out of her thoughts and offered him a warm smile.
“I think so too.” She stepped over to him, welcoming his warm arms around her, and touched her lips to his.
They still hadn’t talked about how their relationship would go once she was in England and he was still here in Angel Grove. Whenever they were alone together, the concept loomed up between them, the elephant in the room, what they knew and simply didn’t refer to in any way.
There’s too much that we’re not talking about. It didn’t feel wrong to ignore all of it, but it didn’t feel right either. They would, sooner or later. There wasn’t any way to get around it. But sooner or later wasn’t now, and now Kat wished they’d already said something to clear the air.
Tommy squeezed her one more time, then pulled away to get into the driver’s seat. “I kind of wish Jason could’ve come with us.”
“He’s busy, you know that.” Kat moved over to get in on the other side. “You two can have your own little guy campout later,” she teased, a hint of merriment floating around her lips.
From the way he perked up, Kat had a feeling that campout would happen the moment both the boys had a weekend free. She would have to thank Jason for it, once it happened.
For now, however, she leaned back and closed her eyes, trying to get her thoughts into something that resembled order. There wasn’t enough time. There’d been time and then it vanished. Where it had all gone, she had no idea. It just wasn’t there anymore.
“Still no luck finding anyone?” Tommy asked, with something of the air of someone who would fill up the empty space in a conversation whether he actually wanted to or not.
“No. No one seems right. You?” She knew the answer even before she asked the question. How could it be anything else?
“No.” As she’d suspected. Tommy kept on driving, his eyes and mind properly on the road. “We have to pick someone soon.”
A shiver ran all through Kat at the words. She knew their truth like he did, but hearing it said out loud made it seem so much more real. That was why she hadn’t tried to say it herself. She didn’t want it to be real.
Being a Power Ranger had been the center of all of their lives for so long. Some more than others, of course-Tanya had only had a year or so to compare to Tommy’s term of service-but it meant the same thing to all of them. Being part of the battle to save the world was what their lives had been about all this time. Being without that kept Kat’s eyes open at night, staring up into the shadows of her room.
Did I do a good enough job? Did I make up for what happened? The questions echoed in her mind repeatedly and she didn’t have answers to them. Could she make up for them? Was it even possible? Would living a normal life without powers help to do that?
Would Divatox leave them alone? None of their other enemies had ever bothered any of the former Rangers on any kind of a regular basis. Divatox had kidnapped Jason and Kim, but that was a one-time event. Maybe if she needed someone else as a sacrifice.
Well, if she needs a virgin sacrifice, Tommy and I don’t qualify for that anymore. Her cheeks heated up at that and she turned her attention a little more aggressively toward the scenery going by. This is driving me insane. I think I want to give up being a Ranger just to get it over with by now.
She looked over when Tommy’s hand wrapped around her own. “I really wish we didn’t have to do this.”
“So do I. But you know what Dimitria said.” Tommy sighed, tightening his grip as he spoke. “We can’t stay Power Rangers forever. No one can.”
“Right.” Kat ran the fingers of her free hand over Tommy’s knuckles. “We have to go have lives of our own.” She could understand it. That didn’t mean it made all of this any easier.
If they’d just found someone right away, someone who embodied everything that Kat knew a Power Ranger should be, then it wouldn’t have been nearly this hard. All of this stress was just because they didn’t have anyone chosen, and the last day was almost on them.
Perhaps that was why she finally said what hadn’t been said before. “Do you want to stay together…after?”
Tommy didn’t say anything for almost a mile, and Kat wondered if she’d have to repeat it. He spoke up before she could. “Yes. I love you, Kat.”
“But…” She didn’t pull her hand away. She didn’t want to. She wanted to keep feeling his warmth there for so long as she possibly could. “Are you sure?”
“You know I am. If we ever break up, it’s not going to be because we’re far apart.” A grin touched his lips, just visible from the corner of her eye. “Besides, it’s not like we can’t ever see each other again. I’ll get time off from the track and you can come over during the off-season, right?”
Kat had to laugh. After all of that fretting and worrying, just a few simple words broke through the confusion that gripped her so hard. “Right.” She would start saving for a plane ticket home as soon as she got there. She might not get to visit as often as she would’ve liked, but she would see him again. “Besides, we can write to each other and make phone calls.”
She knew, and she knew that he knew, it wouldn’t be as easy as all that. There was so much that could put a strain on a relationship with thousands of miles between them. They both had seen it happen before. But she wanted to fight for this as much as he did.
“And e-mail. Don’t forget that.” Neither of them were especially computer literate, but it wouldn’t be that hard to figure out.
“Right. And who knows maybe we can get Dimitria to let us teleport in every now and then.” Zordon would have, Kat knew, though they’d never asked for something like this from their new mentor. Even if she didn’t, they had other options.
Tommy dropped her hand as they came to a tricky stretch of road that would lead them to their chosen camping site. Kat ran her fingers over where he’d touched her, remembering the feeling of his callused hands on her own warm skin. Even with all of their plans to stay in touch, she wanted to remember what it felt like to touch him. She didn’t want that to fade out of her memory for a single moment.
Inch by inch, the lines of tension that had held onto both of them for the last couple of weeks eased up. Some still remained, but that wasn’t unexpected, given their state of not having chosen their successors. Kat couldn’t help but wonder what Tommy really thought of all of this. He hadn’t stopped being a Ranger for more than a few months at a time since the day Rita chose him. Being one was woven into his heart and soul.
Kat’s thoughts wandered from place to place as they drove out of the city and deeper into the woods where Tanya, Adam, and Justin already awaited them, probably up to their ears in camping preparations by now. Given their differing schedules, it only made sense for some of them to go first and get the tents and campfire set up before the others arrived.
She had to admit she wished their other friends would be there as well, even the ones she’d never actually met. The thought of seeing people such as Zack or Trini, who were only names and pictures to her, sent an anticipatory thrill through her. She knew why, too: Tommy. They were his friends, and she wanted to meet all of his friends and she hoped that they liked her. From what she’d heard, she believed she’d like them.
“You think Divatox is going to get up to something while we’re out of town?” Tommy asked, his thoughts on tangents far from her own. Kat laughed.
“I think it would be a lot stranger if she didn’t do something while we’re gone.” Thank goodness for teleporting. Whenever Divatox struck, they’d be able to get back in time to do something about it. The only real problem would be the inevitable stress of waiting for it to happen.
That would be one definite benefit of no longer being Power Rangers. They could go off on trips like this and not have to worry about if someone tried to destroy the world yet again. That was probably why Dimitria insisted on them passing the power to someone else. No one could, or should, live with that kind of stress in their lives forever.
“When are they expecting us again?” Tommy asked, glancing at the clock.
“Not for another half hour or so. We should be there in plenty of time.” Kat reached for her water bottle, thinking once again of all the girls she’d seen at Angel Grove High over the last few months, all of those who might possibly be able to be the Pink Ranger. She didn’t know why they didn’t fit in her mind. There wasn’t anything actually wrong with them. She just didn’t think they were the one.
Well, for now she’d put the whole topic to rest. There wasn’t much else that she could do that she hadn’t done. Whoever her successor was, she’d find her. Somehow.
Of all the ways to have a bad day. Tommy struggled harder, yanking at the ropes that bound him over the pit. He’d had quite a few bad days in his life, most of them related to one villain or another, but this one more or less took the cake.
She would do this today. Divatox couldn’t have waited until next week or done it last week. No, today, the day, when they had a camping trip and a countdown to figuring out their successors, was when she decided it was time to take him out. Yeah, like no one’s ever tried this before. Wonder if I should give her Gasket’s phone number.
He’d figure that out another time. Right now, he needed to find a way to get out of here before those rats ate through the rope all the way. The one it started out with now had a companion up there, the two of them nibbling and sniffing at the peanut butter Divatox had smeared on it. From the squeaks he could hear, there would be more soon. Just what he didn’t need. Where was a cat when he needed one?
Rethinking what he’d just thought, Tommy managed something that sort of resembled a choked off laugh. Kat. I wish you were here. She might not be able to change into a cat anymore, but at least that would mean he wasn’t in danger of falling down into this pit of whatever the heck it was. He couldn’t remember what Divatox and her mother called it. Nor did he especially care.
Divatox’s mother. That was a shock; he’d never actually thought that she had one. He’d sort of envisioned her crawling out from under a rock somewhere, much like Elgar must have. He couldn’t imagine what the rest of the family must be like. He wasn’t sure if he even wanted to try.
He strained at the ropes again, glancing toward the cave opening as he did. The guards Divatox left stared back at him. He knew he could take them once he got out, or at least he could have before having crashed his truck. At least he had insurance on it, and living in Angel Grove meant that ‘I was caught up in a monster attack’ was something the company would reimburse him for.
What worried him more than anything at the moment except the fact he was about to fall into a hellpit was Kat. He did his best not to think about her too much and to put all of his efforts into escape, but her face floated in the back of his mind nevertheless. He’d done what he could to get her out of danger, but he didn’t know if it had worked. Had the Piranhatrons captured her too? Was she somewhere he couldn’t see, maybe being forced to watch this? Was that why Divatox had left instead of remaining to watch him fall?
He wouldn’t put it past the space pirate. Anything that could cause them more trouble was right on her to-do list.
Tommy tried to calm himself. He could make it through this. He would make it through this. Then he’d find Kat and they’d finish up their camping trip and find their successors and go on to have a normal life.
A normal life. He’d never thought he’d want one as much as he did now. After the last few years, he’d grown so used to being a Power Ranger that he’d never thought of being anything else. Now he wanted something else. He’d looked death in the eyes enough times already.
What he wanted was a life with Kat. He wasn’t going to deny her the dream of going to London, no matter what, but he knew what he wanted. And he had something in his pocket he wanted to give her.
Neither one of them was ready for a full on commitment to marriage. He knew that. Too much lay ahead of both of them, he with his racing and her with her dancing. But in the future, a hazy kind of dream that he’d found himself thinking more and more of over the last few months, he hoped the time would come. Until then, what he wanted to do was ask her for a promise, to at least keep him in mind.
He’d meant everything he’d told her in the truck. He loved her. He wanted to stay with her, even when all those thousands of miles separated them. But he didn’t want to keep her attached beyond reason, just in case.
It wasn’t the first time in his life that he and the one he loved were far apart and matters fell through. He didn’t want it to be the second, but if Kat found someone else, then he’d do exactly what he did with Kimberly, and let her go.
How could he do anything else?
He tilted his head back to try and get an idea of how close he was to freeing himself. He wasn’t at all surprised to find that the answer hadn’t changed from the moment he’d been tied up: nowhere close at all. Divatox had actually done a good job on this trap. Except for the part where he wasn’t going to let it work, of course.
Light gleamed off his communicator and he did his best to wriggle a finger closer to it. If he could touch the right button, he could teleport out of here entirely, ropes and all.
The hard part of that was that he didn’t have nearly enough wiggle room for his fingers as he needed. He could almost brush the device with the tip of one finger, but he wasn’t near the right button. I think I should call up Billy and see if we can get these things redesigned.
Well, he wouldn’t actually need to call him, but talking to him about this would definitely be something to take care of as soon as possible. The new Rangers might have to worry about this one of these days. He had no plans to leave his successor hanging around like he was.
He kicked and struggled harder, trying to get any sort of leverage in order to do something. He wasn’t going to hang here like a piece of meat until the ropes were eaten through and he fell. He had to believe Kat was safe, and even if she wasn’t, that Justin, Tanya, and Adam would find out what was going on. Dimitria and Alpha were keeping an eye on them, given how close to the time it was, and they would surely know what was going on with him and Kat.
He just had to wait, that was all. The problem with that was that Tommy wasn’t very good at waiting.
If he thought it would’ve done any good, he would’ve tried to trick one of the Piranhatrons into letting him go. But none of were smart enough to get tricked in the first place.
Something would work out. It had to.
No sooner had Flamite gone up in a cloud of fire and smoke did the Power Rangers teleport back to their headquarters. The moment they landed, Kat hurried over to Tommy, worry written in her eyes.
“Are you all right?” She knew that he had to be; he wouldn’t have been able to join the fight if he wasn’t, but she had to ask anyway. She had to know. “What happened?”
“Divatox.” He shrugged; it wasn’t anything they couldn’t have guessed. “She had me over some kind of pit.” It took him a moment to remember the name. “The Vortex of Eternal Doom and Sorrow.”
Adam blinked and shook his head. “Where do they get names like that from?”
“You got me.” Tommy shrugged again and Kat had to agree; for all of the months she’d spent as Rita’s pawn, she still didn’t get some of the way that beings of evil thought. “Anyway, I got lucky. These two kids found me and managed to get me out of there.”
Kat took a step toward him. “Two kids…a boy and a girl?” Ever since she’d seen Cassie, something warm glowed in the deepest pit of her heart, the part of her where the power lay nestled close and caring.
“That’s right.” Tommy’s lips twitched. “I think I know who I’m going to choose. T.J. really struck me as the right guy for the job.”
Kat’s smile widened as well. “I know how you feel.” She glanced down to her hand and twisted it for a moment, calling up her Turbo Key. “What about you guys?”
Tanya and Adam exchanged a quick look before they nodded. “We’ve got ours picked too.”
Dimitria’s warm voice spoke up from the tube. “If you have made your decisions, then the time has come at last.”
All four of the elder Rangers nodded in agreement. One by one, those who hadn’t yet called up their Keys and set them down. Kat brushed her fingers over hers.
“It’s hard to believe.” In a matter of moments, all of the indecision and doubts she’d had about who to choose vanished without a trace. She could already see Kim’s amused face in her mind’s eye, and hear her voice reminding her that she’d told her so already.
“I’m ready.” Tommy’s fingers brushed across hers and she looked up toward him.
“So am I.” And she was. Far more so than she’d ever imagined she would’ve been just a little while ago.
Once the choices were made, it still took another day before the actual ceremony happened. They needed time to contact certain other interested parties, and to speak to the newly chosen Rangers themselves. Being a Power Ranger was a choice that could only be offered, never truly forced upon another person. Even Tommy had had a chance to give up the Green Ranger powers when he’d first been freed of Rita’s spell.
But the hour struck and one by one the Power Rangers (or ex-Rangers, as they technically were now) entered the chamber to commence the grand ceremony.
The moment Tommy, Kat, Adam, and Tanya entered the room, a clear voice rang across it. “Hey, guys!”
“Kim!” Kat’s eyes lit up at the sight of her friend and the two young women hurried over to squeeze hands. “Glad you could make it!”
The brunette grinned at them all. “There wasn’t any way that I’d miss this. None of us would.” She glanced over her shoulder to where five other figures stood ranged: Jason, Zack, Trini, Billy, Aisha, and Rocky, then looked back to Kat. “I told you that you’d find the right person, didn’t I?”
“You did.” Kat didn’t mind being told ‘I told you so’, especially when she had.
“I can’t wait to talk to them. This is so exciting!”
“Indeed it is, Kimberly.” A well-known and well-loved voice spoke up from the second energy tube in the room. Everyone grinned at the sight of Zordon and Alpha-5; it had been far too long.
As much as they all wanted to get caught up, something far more important had to happen first. Kim stepped back to join the others, while the new former ex-Rangers stood and waited as Dimitria began her speech.
Kat knew that Cassie had accepted being a Power Ranger. Dimitria would’ve told her otherwise. That didn’t stop a certain amount of nervousness as the new Rangers stepped forward to be welcomed by their predecessors, one that didn’t fade until her eyes firmly caught sight of the young woman now wearing the Pink Turbo uniform.
For a moment her gaze flicked across the room to where Kim stood watching. Was this what her own predecessor had felt when passing the Pink Power Coin to her? Something like it, at least, Kat was certain. A merging of concern and pride, of knowing that the person you’d chosen couldn’t have any idea of what was going to happen to them, but knowing they would face it with pride and strength.
All too soon the ceremony ended, the new Rangers properly aware of what they would have to face, and their choice to see it through confirmed. Cassie, T.J., Ashley, Carlos, and Justin came down from the crystal dais, demorphed into their ordinary selves now, and looked at the others standing there, curiosity written over four sets of features.
“Guys, when Dimitria called us a family, she wasn’t kidding.” Tommy gestured to them all. “We’re all ex-Rangers here. And if you need help, just call us and we’ll do what we can.”
Introductions and quiet conversations whispered into existence around them soon. Tommy only let it go on for so long before he tugged Kat over to a quiet corner of the room.
“Hey, do you want to get out of here? I think the camping trip’s a bust but how about some dinner? It’s just about time for it.”
She nodded, her stomach offering its own opinion on the matter as a throaty little roar that sent scorching heat up her cheeks.
“Guys,” she turned toward everyone else quickly, “Tommy and I are going to get something to eat. See you later.”
Everyone waved, with varying levels of attention, and Tommy caught her hand in his before they teleported out for what they knew could be the last time. Any other visits would be because of necessity more than anything else, and no one knew when, or if, they would be needed.
Long shadows of night stretched all around them as they headed toward their favorite restaurant, a quiet place tucked into a small corner of Angel Grove, known for its cozy atmosphere and delicious food. It served an amazing variety of dishes, and the half-dozen times Kat and Tommy had come here, she was certain she’d found a new item on the menu every time.
No reservations were required and they were soon shown into a table in the back. Other diners sat at their own, their conversations providing a low, musical backdrop. Kat closed her eyes, leaned back, and let out a deep, heartfelt sigh. She didn’t want to cry, but after everything that happened in the last few days, she wasn’t surprised to feel tears pricking at her eyes.
Tommy’s hand, as it so often did, closed around her own. “It’s all right,” he murmured to her, and that was what she needed to hear. Slow tears slipped down her cheeks, burning their way through her. A soft brush of fabric turned out to be a handkerchief and she picked it up, wiping her eyes and cheeks. She didn’t know where he found it; she didn’t think he carried one. But there it was all the same.
“This is really silly of me.” She hadn’t even cried when they’d graduated, though her parents both had. This meant so much more, though. It was something of a graduation in and of itself, a crossroads.
“No, it isn’t.” Tommy ducked his head for a moment before he caught her gaze, warm brown eyes looking into bright blue. “When I lost my powers the first time, I did the same thing. I went home that night and I thought I was fine. I thought I’d be all right with never worrying about hearing that call again. I was wrong.” He shook his head. “I thought I’d never stop, actually. It was like part of me was torn out of me. I never really felt right until I got them back, either.”
Kat slowly nodded, sniffling as she did. She didn’t entirely feel that way, but she understood what he said. He lost his powers, he didn’t give them up. That can make a difference. But it was close enough.
Seeing her glass of water in front of her, she took a long drink, trying her best to get everything sorted out in her head. She’d thought she’d done this before the transfer ever happened, but even after it being a solid reality, everything inside of her was jumbled and out of sorts.
“I think I’m going to wake up tomorrow and not know what to do with myself.” She wrapped her fingers around her communicator. Traditionally, or so her contacts with Jason, Rocky, and Billy had shown her, ex-Rangers only wore those if they were still going to and from the Power Chamber regularly.
“We’ll figure it out.” Tommy promised. He hesitated for a moment, one hand going to his jacket pocket, then looked at her. “Kat…Katherine…”
“Hm?” Kat dabbed at her eyes one more time before turning to look at him. He didn’t always call her by her full name so she wondered what was on his mind.
Tommy didn’t say anything. What he did was pull a small box out of his pocket and set it in front of her. Kat stared at it for nearly a minute before she picked it up and opened it. She knew it was a ring before she did, but seeing it glimmer in the light caught her breath in her throat.
“I hope you like it. Jason and Kim helped me pick it out when they were here before graduation.” Tommy fidgeted some, peeking a little at her. “It’s a promise ring. I love you, Kat, and I’d really like to marry you someday, if you want that too.”
Kat slowly plucked the ring from the white velvet cushion and watched the light gleam off the tiny emerald there. “It’s my birthstone,” she murmured, admiring the beauty of it.
“Yeah. I thought you’d like that.” He fidgeted even more, picking his napkin up and putting it down. She could all but see the nervousness leaking off of him as she reached for his hand.
“It’s beautiful.” She offered him the ring, a small smile curving her lips up. “Would you put it on me?”
For a moment she thought Tommy stopped breathing. Then he took the ring, picked up her right hand, and slid it onto her ring finger there. She made a note to find out his ring size from one of their friends and get him one as well. I should’ve thought of this myself. She’d had a thousand other problems on her mind, she knew, but she still berated herself just a little.
Tommy folded his hand over hers once the ring was on her finger and they stared at one another, eyes full of a mutual joy. The ring felt right on her hand, as if it were a tiny part of her that she hadn’t missed until it was there and didn’t need to be anymore.
Their meal came shortly afterward, and Kat couldn’t have been more grateful. She wanted at least a little time to sort through everything and get it all put together properly in her head. The ring on her finger wasn’t unwelcome by any means, but it did throw another mental wrench into her works. Another point she would need to calculate into her future, as it were.
Promises weren’t always kept, but she wanted this one to be, no matter how long it took. The future lay before them, mostly unmapped, waiting for them to find their way through it all.
“Are you going to tell your parents?” Tommy asked as they headed for her place, hand in hand.
“I think so. I just don’t know when.” Kat knew they approved of Tommy, but this was still a step, and it was something she did want them to know about. Even if they didn’t approve, she wouldn’t have let that interfere with their choices. She would just have taken more caution in what they did and where.
Their path led them by Angel Grove Lake, and both of them sent a wary glance in that direction. Divatox was probably still smarting from their destruction of Flamite and the loss of a chance to kill Tommy, but being wary was never a bad idea around their enemies.
She could’ve killed Tommy. And I wouldn’t have even had a body. The thought of that sent even more chills down her spine. Dying was something they dealt with every day, or at least the chance of it. But there would be something to mourn over, a way to have closure and move on. She’d seen death happen before, and while it was never pretty, it was still a part of life, something to be dealt with.
Maybe that was one of the reasons she’d accepted the ring. Not the only one, not even the strongest one, but a desire to have at least a little extra memory of Tommy, something that she could hold onto and mourn if the time ever came. Even without being Power Rangers, he was a racecar driver now. More than one fatal accident happened to those, much more so than martial arts instructors or whatever else Tommy might decide to do with his life.
She didn’t want to say anything like that to him, though. How could she? At least not now. Perhaps it would be one of those topics they talked about years in the future, when death looked more like an old friend come to visit than a creature rising up to snatch them from behind.
Eventually they stood outside of the Hillard home, looking at one another as they had so many other times, still hand in hand.
“So you’re heading out to London next month, right?”
“Right.”
“You’re going to be great, Kat. I know it. You’re incredible.” He lifted up her hand and touched his lips to her knuckles, bringing a smile to her lips. “I just wish I could be there for your first performance.”
A soft laugh made its way out of her throat. “I don’t even know when that will be.” It wouldn’t be anything big, she knew that. She would have to start at the beginning, just like everyone else. But it would happen, sooner or later.
“Yeah. Well, I know I’ll see you up there on stage one of these days.” He still didn’t release her hands and she wasn’t in any hurry for him to do so.
She leaned closer to him, resting her head against his chest. “I’d tell you to be careful, but I know you won’t be.”
“Can’t be careful on the track and win.” Tommy pointed out, eyes glinting with that thrill for excitement that was one of the many points that drew her to him.
They moved closer, arms sliding around one another, and lips touched lips with growing passion. Kat almost regretted not telling her parents she was staying over with him. They would’ve understood, knowing that she would be leaving far too soon. Wanting to spend more time with him was only natural. And she did, she really did. But tonight would not be that night.
But she would take all the nights she could from here on out.
“So, you think he’s going to ask her?” Kim nudged Jason a little, eyes bright with hope. Jason didn’t have to ask who she meant. Not after a certain trip the three of them had made some months before.
“I know he is.” Jason knew Tommy; he wouldn’t have wanted to put Kat on the spot by asking her about the promise ring in front of everyone.
Kim nodded, a warm smile playing about her lips. Jason hadn’t ever asked her about her own feelings; he trusted her to handle them on her own, without him being the overprotective big brother. He kept that for people who bothered her too much, and there hadn’t been anyone like that in quite some time.
“So what about you and what’s her name…Emily?” Kim prodded him once again, avidly curious. “When do I get to meet her?”
“Soon!” Jason held off a laugh; he’d wanted Kim to meet his girlfriend when they were in town for the Little Angels’ Shelter, but Emily hadn’t been able to make it herself. So much had been going on then anyway. He hadn’t wanted to have to explain to her why he’d vanished for a couple of days anyway. He thought sometimes that she suspected what he’d used to do.
Kim leaned back against the wall, uncomfortable as it had to be, and watched the new Rangers for a few moments. She and Cassie had been talking about something before she’d come over to Jason; he thought it involved music of some kind. He hadn’t been able to hear it, being mostly caught up in discussing the problems of being a leader with T.J. Tommy had held the position longer than he did, but T.J. didn’t seem to care, just wanting to talk about the whole concept.
“I’m really happy for both of them.” Jason didn’t think she was talking about their new friends. Not with that tone of voice. He knew her too well to think that anyway.
“Regrets?” He chose the word on purpose, wanting her to say only what she felt like saying. He knew about the letter; not only had she talked to him about it before ever sending it, but he’d had a phone call from Tommy not long after it arrived.
She didn’t answer at once. “I don’t know.” Her sigh was heartfelt. “I don’t think so, though. Just…wondering a little.” She shook her head. “I want them to be happy, I know that.”
“And I know that’s what they both want for you.” Jason tilted his head, eyebrows going up in curiosity. “What about …what’s his name?” For the life of him he couldn’t remember the name of the man she’d met in Florida. He knew that she’d told him, but it just didn’t stay in his head.
Kim swatted him on the arm, any melancholy thoughts dissipating. “He’s gone home for a visit. I’ve probably missed at least one call from him being here.” She didn’t sound especially worried about that and Jason decided he would have to keep an eye on what developed here. This guy might be Kim’s perfect man, but even the perfect man had to deal with certain honorary relatives.
Kat dropped the suitcase by the door, next to the other three awaiting her. For a few moments she stood and looked at them, before going back upstairs to check her room one last time.
It didn’t look like ‘her’ room anymore. All of her pictures and everything that she’d added here since they’d moved in were now all in one of those suitcases. Even the bed had been stripped; her bedspread packed and the sheets in the washer.
Tommy’s hand rested on her shoulder. “Are you ready?” He would take her to the airport. Her parents would come along, of course, and Tanya and Adam would meet them there. She’d hoped Justin would’ve been able to come, but a combination of homework and Divatox’s meddling meant he had too much on his plate for the moment.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Kat turned and followed him down the stairs until they stood by the door again. She didn’t waste any time, picking up two of her suitcases and heading out to where Tommy’s new truck waited for them.
Just like passing her powers onto Cassie, this all seemed like some kind of weird and wild dream, up until the moment came when it happened. Now she really would be living in London and studying dance, just as she’d wanted for so long.
“Sorry I’ll miss your race.” Kat wished her flight could be rescheduled, but not everything worked out the way that one hoped. “I know you’re going to win.”
Tommy only shrugged, grinning. “I’ll call and let you know what happened.”
“Don’t forget about the time difference.” She’d drummed that into her own head for weeks already. Seven hours between here in Angel Grove and London, five between Florida and London. She wanted to make certain she could keep in touch with all of her friends. It was almost as hard as keeping in mind the difference between Angel Grove and where she’d lived in Australia.
“I won’t, I won’t.” Tommy settled the suitcases he’d carried out into the back of the truck next to the ones she’d put in there.
Silence fell between them as they settled inside. Her parents were already in their own car and pulling out of the driveway. Kat watched as Tommy backed out, her stomach squirming with nerves that she wished she didn’t have.
“You all right?” He asked the question quietly, not looking at her.
“I…” She hesitated, a watery little smile appearing on her lips. “I’m not really sure how to answer that. I’m not worried. I know this is going to work out. But…”
He smiled as well, and that warmed her deeper inside. “But you’re nervous, right?”
“Right.” How could she not be? It wasn’t the kind of nerves that would lock her up from doing anything, but the kind that made her fear what would happen when she did something, no matter what it was.
To his credit, Tommy didn’t tell her that she was fretting over nothing. He just patted her hand in his best comforting manner - she had yet to tell him that just his presence comforted her more than anything else ever could - and headed on to the airport.
Kat let her mind wander. Her classes for college wouldn’t start for another month, giving her time to get settled into the dance school’s routine first. That had been Kim’s advice; she was doing much the same in Florida, taking college classes in horticulture and gardening while preparing herself for the next big gymnastics competition. Stressful, she’d called it, but worth every minute. Accomplishing childhood dreams didn’t mean that was where their futures ended.
She glanced at Tommy and wondered what else he’d do with his life once he didn’t want to race anymore. She didn’t know when, or even if, really, he’d change his mind about that, but if it happened, she couldn’t help but just…wonder. Would he go into business with Rocky at the dojo? Start up his own somewhere in Angel Grove? Do something else that had nothing to do with the martial arts?
Perhaps do as Billy had and move off planet to work with Power Rangers somewhere else? Zordon had mentioned that was a possibility for Billy, now that he lived on Aquitar. Whether it was one for them she didn’t know, but Tommy would be a good candidate if any of them were.
For now, though, he looked just as happy as a fish in deep water when it came to zooming around the track. It satisfied his adrenaline needs almost as much as fighting monsters on a weekly basis had. So whatever it was, she felt assured that it would involve risking his life on some level. That was what Tommy did.
She ran her fingers over the promise ring, wondering what she would do if he did decide to leave the planet. Better not to worry about it right now. She had enough to keep herself occupied before she started fretting over things that would probably not happen.
“I heard the Rangers had a fight with Divatox the other day.” Tommy spoke up. “Some kind of anger spell or something.”
“Yeah, Justin was telling me about it.” The youngest Ranger still kept in close touch with all of them, even without fighting together. “They managed it pretty well, though.”
“They’re doing just fine.” Pride flickered through Tommy’s voice, pride that she shared. It was good to know that their successors were doing such a good job of keeping the world safe from Divatox. So far she hadn’t shown any signs of wanting to take out her anger on the now ex-Rangers, which was all to the good so far as Kat was concerned. Let her focus on the ones who stood opposed to her now.
Closer and closer the airport grew, and Kat held back every scrap of anxiety, focusing on the anticipation instead. A new home. A new chapter of her life starting, one that she would write herself, by her own choice. She never regretted a moment of being a Ranger, though she could’ve easily managed without being Rita’s pawn first.
Far sooner than she would’ve liked, she stood with her suitcases and her friends there, all of those who had been able to make it. Tanya and Adam both hugged her, while Rocky grinned and wished her well. She hadn’t expected him there, in all honesty, but there he stood.
“Kim said hi, by the way,” he told Kat, “and she said she’ll be waiting for you to call her.”
Kat nodded; she had a long list of people that she would call once she had her phone set up properly there. One of her ‘going-away’ presents was a thick address book that held the name, number, and address of every single Power Ranger and ex-Ranger with the sole exception of Trey of Triforia. Even Billy had added one, mentioning that he was hard at work on getting more reliable communications set up between Aquitar and Earth. Their planet might not be ready for the full on knowledge that alien cultures existed in peaceful harmony, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t make a few phone calls in the meantime.
Both of her parents hugged her, her mother brushing one hand through her hair. “I can’t wait to see you up on stage. You’re going to get all the best roles, I know it.”
“I hope so.” Kat wasn’t as certain about that as her mother was; she knew it would take time to work up to that level of skill. Still, there wasn’t any reason to deny it just yet. “You two take care of yourselves.” They would be home alone without her now, for the first time since she’d been born.
Her father looked over at Tommy. Kat had told them both about the promise ring shortly after he’d given it to her. “Tommy, if Kat ever has to call me and tell me that you’ve hurt yourself racing, I’m going to be upset with you.”
“Don’t worry, Mr. Hillard. I’m going to do my best to make sure that doesn’t happen.” Tommy promised. Kat decided moving to England was a very good idea and in fact considered asking Dimitria what Eltar or Inquiris were like.
Though it could’ve been worse. Her father could’ve tried being intimidating. She didn’t think that would’ve worked all that well, given his height and build versus Tommy’s.
“Good luck, Kat,” her father said, patting her on the arm. “We’re going to miss you.”
“I’ll miss you guys too.” She hugged everyone one more time before picking up her carry-on. Tommy caught her free hand and she looked back at him.
“I love you, Kat.” He didn’t say it when it was more than just the two of them very often, and she smiled back at him, fighting back a sudden surge of tears.
“I love you, too, Tommy.” There was so much more that ached to be said, and none of it could be. Some words didn’t need to be spoken to be known. She kissed him quickly, holding him for a few moments before turning away and heading for her flight. As much as she would’ve liked to stay there forever with them all, her future called to her and she wouldn’t let it wait.
The End