Setting: ZEO, the "There's No Business, Like Snow Business" episode, aka The Letter episode
Chapters: 1/1
Summary: Tommy receives the breakup letter, but is all as it seems?

A/N: First, HAPPY NEW YEAR! Welcome to 2020! Now, honestly? This is the most logical way/explanation the show could've and should've gone (ok, the most logical is to NOT have done the letter in the first place). Now, the sequence of events, placement of everyone is not exact, but eh, go with it.

A/N 2: also, this was written to get my creative juices flowing and to chip away at my writer's block. And it worked a bit; the next chapter for Matters of the Heart is almost finished.

Disclaimer: Power Rangers and all its affiliate belong to whomever owns them now, whether that be Disney or Hasbro or Haim Saban (cannot remember). No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this, in other words, I do not own, and I am not making a monetary profit.

"Speaking"
"Speaking on the phone"

It was a normal day.

The rangers were in the juice bar hanging out as they always did; Tommy was on the weights with Billy and Adam around him as spotters, while Kat and Tanya were over in the corner talking and doing ballet (Kat), and Rocky was up at the counter getting something to eat.

He'd just gotten his food and was turning to head to where the guys were when he was stopped by Ernie.

"Hey Rocky," Ernie spoke. "Give this to Tommy, would you? It's from Kimberly."

"Oh yeah, no problem," Rocky nodded as he took the letter and headed to where Tommy was. "Hey Tommy, you got a letter from Kim."

Tommy paused. "Really?"

Adam grinned as he grabbed the letter from Rocky. "I wonder what's in it?"

The guys started teasing, and Tommy chuckled. "Hey Adam, read it for me while I finish my set."

"You sure?" Adam asked.

"Yeah," Tommy nodded as he continued.

Smiling, Adam complied and started reading the letter out loud.

Dear Tommy,

Everything is going great here in Florida. Coach Schmidt has me as ready as I'll ever be for the competition. Tommy, this is the hardest letter I've ever had to write.

Adam stopped reading, disbelief slowly taking over his expression as well as horror. "Uhm, Tommy, I think you should finish this yourself."

Tommy stopped his set, sat up and took the letter from Adam. He frowned as he continued reading the letter out loud. When he was done, the three other boys were staring with horror.

"What the hell?" Rocky muttered.

Tommy immediately got up. "I gotta go." Without saying anything else, he grabbed his bag and quickly left the juice bar.

The three watched him leave while Kat and Tanya hurried over to them, drawn by their leader's quick escape.

"What's going on? Tanya asked.

"Where's Tommy going?" Kat continued.

It was Billy that explained the letter and what it contained, leaving both girls stunned, especially Katherine.

"She broke up with him?" the blonde repeated. "I can't believe it."

But, there was a part of Kat, deep down, that felt hope unfurl; because, she loved Tommy, and if Kimberly did end things with him, then that meant…that meant that she now had a chance.

~…~

Tommy walked into his bedroom, slamming the door behind him, the letter still clutched tight in his hand. He grabbed his phone and sat on the bed, dialing as he did.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me."

"Tommy!" Kim exclaimed, delight evident in her voice. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to talk to you," Tommy answered, "How're things going?"

"Things are going good," Kim replied, "It's tough, but you know, it's worth it. So, Handsome, not that I'm not happy to hear from you, but how come you're calling today? I was expecting to talk to you for another two days."

That alone let him know the truth and he let out a sigh as he fell back to lean against the headboard. "So, you wouldn't believe what I got to today."

"What?"

"A letter from you," Tommy revealed.

Kim was stunned and let out a little laugh. "A letter? From me?"

"Yep," Tommy grinned.

She giggled. "Who do you think is messing with you? Was it Rocky? Did he do it as a prank?"

"Yeah I don't think Rocky would do this kind of prank," Tommy said.

Now, Kim was curious. "What do you mean? What'd the letter say?"

"That you're breaking up with me," Tommy told her, "and that you found the man of your dreams and that I'm like your brother."

There was stunned silence for a moment before Tommy's ears were filled with laughter.

"Are you kidding me?" Kim continued laughing. "A brother? Oh my god."

"Yep," Tommy grinned, "a brother."

"Then we've been committing some serious incest," Kim managed to say before she started laughing again.

"So much," Tommy chuckled.

"Pervert," Kim snorted. "Whoever did that don't know us at all, do they?"

"Not at all," Tommy agreed, "So, breakup letter aside, talk to me."

Kim agreed and the conversation shifted to more pleasant topics.

(The Next Day)

The Rangers were all at the juice bar waiting for Tommy to arrive. They were still in shock over the fact that Kim had sent Tommy a breakup a letter, and they were also worried about their friend and how he was dealing with the breakup.

"How could Kimberly do this to Tommy?" Kat shook her head, anger in her at the hurt that Tommy was going through. She cared about him, and to think that Kimberly had just thrown away their relationship.

"I don't know," Rocky said, "That letter didn't sound like Kim at all."

"I agree," Billy added. "At least, not the Kimberly we know."

"People change," Tanya pointed, "maybe she did."

"Hmm," Rocky hummed.

"How do you think he's doing?" Tanya asked, worry evident in her eyes and voice. "He's probably heartbroken."

"Hey guys!" came the upbeat voice of their leader and they turned to see Tommy heading towards them, a smile on his face and not a hint of sadness anywhere.

They were stunned.

"Tommy…" Kat spoke up, "Uhm, are you—are you ok?"

"Yeah I'm good," Tommy answered as he pulled up a chair.

"How?" Tanya asked, "I mean, your girlfriend just broke up with you."

"No, she didn't," Tommy told her, shocking the group.

"What do you mean she didn't?" Kat asked. She turned to Adam, "But Adam said—

"The letter," Adam continued, though now a frown was on his face, "Tommy, that letter said—

"I know what it said," Tommy replied, "but it wasn't true. I knew that letter was a fake the moment it came."

"What?!"

"What do you mean a fake?" Billy asked.

"You're saying Kim didn't write it?" Rocky added, then he grinned. "I knew it."

"How do you know it's a fake?" Tanya asked.

"Because Kim and I don't write letters to each other," Tommy told them.

"You…don't write letters to each other at all?" Kat repeated, a little confused.

"Ok, to be fair," Tommy explained, "We do write letters, but, it's more like, if something happens and we know a phone call won't do, then we write letter, usually a long one but then we give each other a heads up. It's something we came up with when she first got to Florida. Because her schedule would be grueling, and spare time would be limited because she was training, we just figured calling each other once a week would be better, and that a letter would only be written if it was something, I don't know, something serious, something that just wouldn't be enough to talk about in an hour phone call."

"Huh," Billy looked thoughtful. "So, when Rocky said there was a letter from Kim…"

"I knew that couldn't be true and it was probably someone messing with me," Tommy said. "Because Kim never gave me warning to let me know a letter was coming, and then yesterday when I left, I went home and called her, and she pretty much confirmed it. I don't know who wrote that letter or why," he shrugged, "but I just know it wasn't her."

Kat would not admit to anyone that she felt a sense of disappointment; even though she was upset on Tommy's behalf and sad that he would have been going through a breakup, there had been that part of her that had been happy because it meant that she'd have a chance with him, but now…yeah she was happy that he wasn't going to be hurt, but that part that was hoping was still disappointed.

"Who would want to do something like that?" Kat asked, voice masking what she was really feeling, though genuinely curious as to who would want to mess with Kim and Tommy's relationship.

Tommy shrugged. "I don't know, but it didn't work."

"Well I for one am glad it didn't," Rocky said, "and that it was a fake letter. I think it's like the end of the world or something if you and Kim broke up."

Adam and Billy laughed though they also nodded in agreement.

(Somewhere in space)

"Ha! I told you it wouldn't work!" Rita cackled at Archerina.

Said woman growled. "Why are you here?"

"To see your plan fail in person," Rita grinned. "Zeddy and I have been trying to get those goody-two shoes and nothing breaks them apart…nothing! I tried to warn you."

Archerina quickly fired an arrow of destructive energy at Rita who dodged it before disappearing in a flash of light, her cackles echoing in the air, leaving a fuming Archerina behind.

A/N 3: eh? What do you think? I will forever be pissed that they not only broke up Kim and Tommy, but in such a way. I do believe Disney held ownership at this point, and I think it's interesting that they ended Tommy's healthy and stable relationship with the tiny, brown-eyed, brown haired girl to put him with the tall, blue-eyed, blonde. I know Catherine Sutherland responded to some comments on Instagram on how Kat had to be the pink ranger after Kim (AJJ) left but the anger was never about that; we know it needed a new pink ranger. What we were pissed about, was the fact that they broke up Kim and Tommy just to push him to Kat; just because it needed a new pink ranger doesn't mean Tommy needed a new girlfriend…especially since AJJ came back for the TURBO movie. For crying out loud even Jason and Amy still to this day and forever ship Tommy/Kim.