Author's note: This here was a plot bunny that just would not go away. It was born from an interview with Amy Jo Johnson at the Power Rangers 2017 movie premiere. She was asked if she thought Tommy and Kimberly ended up together. Her response was, "They probably ran off together at some point and ruined each other's marriages."

Now clearly, that was said in jest, but then I wondered… what if? 20k words later and here we are. A huge thank you to my beta, Bellarose20, for helping me with this monster of a story.

This fic takes place during the Dino Thunder era, though I've made some adjustments. I think we all know the timeline for Tommy getting his Ph.D. makes no fucking sense as depicted in PR canon (it bugs the crap out of me because he apparently went to my school). So for this story and my sanity, Dino Thunder took place during the 2005-2006 academic school year. It's still a fast track to a Ph.D, (B.S. in 3.5 years, Ph.D in 4), but it's at least feasible.

Anyway, hope y'all like it!

And as always, please read and review.

Hayley's Cyberspace

Reefside, CA

May 20, 2006 (Night of Reefside High Prom)

10:13 PM

"Just set it down on that table to your left."

Tommy shuffled blindly to the left side of the room, grunting when he felt the cool metal hit his thigh. He dropped the boxes onto the table with a loud thud.

"Right, because I want those things to be broken."

Tommy peered around the stack of boxes and gave a sheepish smile. "Sorry, Hayley."

The redhead rolled her eyes. "Is that the last of it?"

"Yeah," he said. "Need help unpacking this?"

He heard her scoff from the back of the room. "Please. The only thing I need to unpack…" Faint rustling could be heard. "…is this."

He chuckled at the raised bottle of Bourbon. Hayley headed for the door with two shot glasses in hand, hip checking him on the way out.

"Shall we?"

He shut off the light and followed her out to the main area of the Cyberspace.

"Don't you need a license to sell liquor?" he asked as she poured both of them shots.

"Yes, which is why I'm not selling you this." She lifted hers with a raised brow. "I'm giving it freely."

He clinked his glass against hers and took a shot, wincing slightly from the burn. He hadn't had a drink in a long time.

"Damn, that's smooth," he breathed out. "You don't usually drink. What's the occasion?"

"You mean besides surviving several hours in an enclosed space with hormonally frustrated teenagers dressed to the nines and somehow not killing them?" Hayley grinned. "I think we all deserve a nice break now that things have calmed down, don't you?"

The former Dino ranger exhaled. "Hard to believe it's all over."

"With your track record, I have a feeling the peace won't last long." She poured them each another shot. "But yes, for now, it's over and things can go back to normal. Mesogog's defeated. Principal Randall isn't trying to kill you. Zeltrax is gone – "

She noticed the tick in his jaw at the mention of Zeltrax. "Tommy?"

Tommy blinked rapidly. "Sorry, I just…" He stared down at the liquid in his glass.

"What is it?" she asked softly.

He stayed quiet for a long time as he tried to collect his thoughts. "I should have done more to save him," he whispered.

Hayley sighed. "Tommy, you tried to reason with him multiple times. Zeltrax was too far gone – we all saw that. You did everything you could."

The black ranger's nostrils flared. "Except treat him better."

She threw him a puzzled look. "Tommy, Smitty was crazy."

"Smitty was hurt, and that drove him to become Zeltrax. I made him into that monster, and I didn't try as hard as I could have to save him."

"He chose to become Zeltrax," she said angrily. "You didn't blow up Mercer Island. You didn't make him pledge to serve Mesogog – he made those choices on his own. Yes, it's unfortunate how things went down, but it doesn't change the fact that he's responsible for his actions, not you." She nudged his shoulder. "I know that doesn't sit well with your guilt complex, but it's the truth."

He swirled the liquid in the glass with a solemn expression. "You only know part of the story."

Makoshika State Park – Badlands

Glendive, MT

July 10, 2000

Tommy wiped the sweat from his brow as he looked across the dig site. Several of his team members were still hard at work on the fossil they had just found. They'd only been able to uncover the dentary and maxillary bones so far, but based on the size and bone structure, he had a good feeling it might be a brachiosaurus.

"Amazing, isn't?" A voice said from behind. "All the modern technology in the world, and we can still learn something new from the past."

Tommy turned to see a young man around his age standing next to him. He had dark brown hair that was cut low to his head and bright blue eyes.

"Yeah."

The man held out his hand. "Terrence. Terrence Smith. Folks call me Smitty."

"Tommy Oliver." He grabbed the man's hand firmly and shook it.

Terrence chuckled lightly. "Trust me, I know exactly who you are."

Tommy frowned. "Meaning?"

The shorter man smiled. "The former racecar driver turned future paleontologist is big news in the community." He observed Tommy curiously. "Not even a grad student yet, and somehow you managed to score a spot on one of the most exclusive digs of the year. You must be pretty special."

Tommy shrugged. "I applied like everyone else, man. You got a problem, take it up with Dr. Bodin," he said defensively.

"Hey, no problem here, golden boy," Smitty said with a grin. "Just saying… your story is interesting."

"Right." Tommy grabbed a paper cup and poured himself some water. "So… which team is yours?" he asked, hoping to change the subject.

"Ah, I don't dig," Smitty revealed. He pointed to a tent covering a table with several lab instruments on it. "Biochemistry is my thing."

Tommy raised an eyebrow. "Paleobiochemistry?" At Terrence's nod, he grinned. "Not many of you around. That must be pretty exciting – working in unchartered territory."

"You have no idea," Smitty murmured, a slight gleam in his eyes. "Is this your first dig?"

"Second," Tommy said. "Trying to get an early start on my thesis in case I'm lucky enough to get into the graduate program next year. I'm still learning a lot, though." He wiped at the sweat gathering on the back of his neck. "Like maybe shorter hair is the way to go."

Terrence laughed out loud at that. "That'd probably be a good idea. You want people to take you seriously? Get rid of the nineties rocker look."

The taller man's eyes narrowed at the comment, not caring for this Smitty guy's unsolicited opinions about him. Vibrations in his front pocket caught Tommy's attention, and he pulled out his cellphone. He looked at the caller ID and smiled.

"From the look on your face, I'm guessing it's your old lady?"

"Fiancée, actually," Tommy said with a grin. "Can you excuse me for just – ?"

Terrence waved him off. "Of course. I gotta get back to work anyway. See you around, Oliver."

"Yeah, you, too, man," the former power ranger said before walking away and answering the call.

"Hey, Kat…"

Hayley rolled her eyes. "Tommy, I know all of this, remember? I was the person who had to listen to you rant about the smug bastard who kept trying to show you up in front of Dr. Bodin, remember?"

He scoffed. "I wasn't that bad."

"You called me almost every day," she deadpanned. "Sometimes twice in one day."

Tommy flushed under her gaze while scratching at the back of his neck. "My point was that Smitty and I had friction from the day we met… long before he became Zeltrax."

Now it was Hayley's turn to scoff. "Yes. You were both competitive and had unsubstantiated egos – not uncommon in academia, Tommy." She smirked at his annoyed expression. "Those also aren't legitimate reasons to want to kill someone," she pointed out.

"Hayley, I've fought intergalactic warlords with less motivation," he reminded her.

She considered this. "Fair," she agreed before downing her shot.

"And to your point, no, I don't think our little rivalry was enough to push him to full-on hating me." Tommy looked down at the metal counter. "What came later, though…"

Hayley groaned. "For the love of God, Tommy, the explosion was an accident. You had no contr– "

"I'm not talking about what happened on Mercer Island," he interrupted softly. Remorseful brown eyes locked with hers. "I'm talking about London."

London Hilton on Park Lane

London, England

September 10, 2003

"Here are your keys, Mr. Oliver. Your room is on the sixth floor. Elevators are just down the hall – take the first left and they'll be on your right."

"Thank you," he said kindly as he grabbed his suitcase.

Tommy went up to his room, setting down his suitcase and backpack once inside. He grabbed his bag of toiletries and headed for the bathroom, eager to take a shower and wash off the last few hours of travel. He emerged twenty minutes later from the bathroom clean and feeling much better, his towel wrapped tightly around his waist.

Checking the clock, Tommy realized he had about fifteen minutes to get ready before Kat would be at the hotel. He pulled on a nice pair of jeans, a white Polo shirt, and some brown boots. Tommy completed the look by spiking his hair and putting on the watch gifted to him by his parents.

He grabbed his room key and wallet from the dresser on his way out and headed back down to the lobby. Anxiously, he searched the area for his wife. He frowned when he didn't see her and checked his watch again.

She was ten minutes late.

'Can't wait to rub that in her face,' he thought jokingly, though he was a little concerned something may have happened to her. Kat was never late.

When an additional thirty minutes passed, Tommy felt his stomach tighten up in knots. He pulled out his cellphone and called her.

"Hey Kat, it's Tommy. We were supposed to meet forty minutes ago at the hotel, but you're not here yet. Please call me back to let me know you're all right. I love you."

Tommy closed his phone with a sigh and leaned against the wall behind him. He checked the surrounding area for signs of Kat once again, and though he still didn't see her, something else caught his attention.

Or rather someone.

Sitting in a chair across the room was a petite woman with shoulder-length caramel locks. She wore a jade green sundress and white gladiator sandals that exposed the pink nail polish on her toes. She was digging in her purse for something, and the telltale lip bite confirmed for him exactly who it was.

Tommy was across the room before he even realized it. "Kimberly?"

The woman paused and looked up at him, eyes narrowing in confusion. Recognition crossed her face after a few seconds and she squealed loudly, garnering the attention of nearby hotel guests as she stood up and hugged him tightly. He was unprepared for the hug and the rush it gave him to hold her in his arms again.

"Oh my god, Tommy!" she said pulling back to look at him, eyes bright as she smiled. "It's so good to see you!"

"Same," he said in agreement, cheeks starting to ache from how much he was smiling.

"Hang on a second. You ran into Kimberly? As in your ex-girlfriend, first pink ranger Kimberly?!" At his nod, Hayley smacked his arm. "And you didn't think to share this with me?"

He rubbed his arm with a pout. "Okay, first off, ow."

She shook her head. "He loves to talk about dinosaur bones and karate moves and all his ranger adventures, but does he tell me any of the juicy stuff? No, of course not," she muttered under her breath. When she caught sight of his glare, Hayley grinned. "Not that the other stuff isn't just as interesting or important."

"Thanks," he groused. "Do you have any more commentary to add?"

"I always have commentary," she said with a wink. "But I'll hold off. Tell me more about seeing Kim again."

"Wow, Kim, you look…amazing!"

Tommy wasn't sure if it was appropriate or not to make such a comment to his ex, but he didn't care. She looked absolutely beautiful.

The former pink ranger flushed prettily. "Thank you." She poked him in the chest. "You don't look so bad yourself. I like the hair."

He raised his hand to his spikes self-consciously. Kat hadn't even seen his haircut yet. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," she said sincerely. "It looks good on you. More mature."

He flashed a boyish grin at her. "Thanks."

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Oh, I uh…sorry, please sit," he said, gesturing to her chair. She sat back down, and he took a seat in the chair next to her. "I'm in town for work, although today, I'm supposed to be meeting Kat for lunch."

Kimberly smiled. "Oh, Kat… I haven't seen her since the wedding. How is she?"

"She's good. Busy doing her ballet."

"I saw some of the posters around town of her dance company." She clasped her hands together excitedly. "Is she going to be in the upcoming show?"

"Uh, yeah," he said, though he really wasn't sure what exactly Kat was doing these days. He made a mental note to ask more about what she was working on when he saw her.

"Might have to try and catch one of the showings while I'm in town," she said softly. "Well, what about you? Still on a quest to become the next Dr. Grant?"

He laughed, surprised she remembered his love for the movie Jurassic Park. Kim hadn't been terribly into the idea of seeing large lizards running rampant and killing people, but the film was one of Tommy's favorites when they'd dated. He was pleased to see she still remembered details about it.

"If things go as expected, you'll be talking to Dr. Thomas Oliver in about a year."

"Oh, Tommy, I'm so proud of you." She reached over and squeezed his knee, sending a small jolt through him. "You worked so hard at this. I'm glad to see it's all going to pay off soon."

He stared down at the hand on his knee before covering it with his own. He heard her barely audible gasp at the contact, surprised and elated by the reaction.

"Thanks, Kim."

She nodded and removed her hand from his leg. He couldn't help but feel sad at the loss of contact.

"And you? How are things going in San Francisco?"

She sighed. "Well, things were a little rough after I got my MBA. Getting the loan for the school and finding enough qualified coaches was a real pain in the ass. We were in the red for a long time..."

"But everything is better now?"

Kim smiled. "Everything's good, Tommy. We're finally in the black, and the school is starting to build up a solid reputation in the Bay Area."

"As to be expected," he said. "It's not every day you get the opportunity to train under a five-time Olympic gold medalist."

She ducked her head at his reference to her record-breaking wins back in 2000. "It's really not that big a deal," she murmured.

"Yeah, right," he teased gently. "You're the shit, and you know it."

Kimberly laughed, and the sound made his heart feel light.

"Maybe," she joked.

Tommy rolled his eyes at the knowing look on Hayley's face. "What?"

"Nothing, I just… I'm glad you were able to reconnect with her." She smiled gently. "I know despite everything, Kim has always been very important to you."

Tommy smiled back, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"And knowing how things eventually went down with Kat…" Hayley scowled. "Well… I'm just glad the trip wasn't a total loss for you."

"Yeah," he murmured, eyes downcast.

"Sorry, I derailed your story." She rested her chin on her hands. "We'll circle back to Kimberly later, because you know I have so many questions. Let's get back to Smitty."

Tommy grew somber. "We will."

"Something wrong?" Kim asked softly. Tommy froze at being caught checking his watch.

"Sorry, I just..." He frowned. "Kat was supposed to meet me here an hour ago. I haven't heard from her yet."

Kim bit her lip. "Did you try calling her?"

"Yeah… no answer. I'll try again in a few minutes." He tried to push concerned thoughts of Kat to the back of his mind.

"Tommy, it's okay if you want to call now," she said gently. "I can tell you're worried."

He gave a grateful smile. "Thanks, Kim. It'll just be a second."

He pulled his phone out, eyebrow raising when he saw that he had a new message. Flipping open his phone, he read the message and sighed.

"What is it? Did she call you?"

Tommy closed the phone and shoved it back into his pocket. "She said she's running a lot later than expected and to hang tight."

He tried not to sound bitter. He knew Kat wouldn't put off seeing him unless it was for something important.

"I'm sorry, Tommy. I know Kat would be here with you if she could."

He shrugged. "It is what it is, I guess," he said trying to make light of the situation. "Just means I have more time to catch up with an old friend."

The tips of her ears burned red. "Is it wrong that I'm happy about that?"

"Not at all," he said, unable to wipe the smile from his face. "So, you never told me… what are you doing here? You were probably the last person I expected to see all the way out here."

She looked down, picking at the material of her sundress. "I'm on sort of a…forced vacation."

"Forced vacation," he repeated. "Meaning?"

She sighed irritably. "It means my staff is afraid I work myself too much and gave me an ultimatum. Either I go on an extended vacation or they would all quit."

"Aw, that's kinda sweet." Tommy couldn't help but laugh at the pout on her face. "You have a staff that really cares about you, Kim. It says a lot about the kind of person you are that they'd go to such great lengths for you."

"Yeah," she mumbled. "I realize that now. At the time, I wanted to wring their necks."

He grinned. "So, what made you pick London?"

"Well, initially I was going to go to Paris to see Mom and Pierre…"

"Oh yeah, that's right! How is your mom? Things still going well, I hope?" he asked.

"She's great. Pierre has been so good for her – I've never seen her so happy, Tommy."

Tommy felt genuine happiness for Kimberly's mother. She was always very sweet to him when they'd dated, and he knew from Kim how rough the divorce had been on the Hart family.

"Anyway, I was going to go to Paris, but then my husband told me he'd be here in London on business, so I figured, why not kill two birds with one stone? I'm spending the first week here with him and then taking the train to Paris to spend the rest of my vacation there."

"Good deal," Tommy said. "Did you get in today?"

"Three days ago, actually," she said with a familiar glint in her eyes. "I've already done quite a bit of sightseeing, and the shops here are absolutely amazing, Tommy…"

The former Zeo ranger rolled his eyes. "Oh boy… will there be anything left for the rest of us or have you already cleaned out the stores?"

Kim glared playfully. "Shut up."

He laughed, squeezing her thigh. Her skin felt smooth beneath his palm. "You know I'm just – "

Tommy was interrupted by a familiar voice. "There you are! God, I'm so sorry I'm late, babe."

He turned just in time to see a man rush past him and lean over Kimberly, giving her a soft kiss on the lips. Kim rubbed her thumb over his lips to wipe away the lipstick.

"It's okay. The extra time gave me the opportunity to catch up with… an old friend." She turned to her ex-boyfriend. "Tommy, I'd like to introduce you to my husband."

Tommy froze when he realized he was staring into the face of Terrence Smith.

"Smitty?" he said in disbelief.

"Hey there, golden boy," Smitty said grabbing Tommy's hand in a firm handshake.

"Golden boy?" Kim furrowed her brows. "Wait, you guys know each other?"

"More or less," Smitty replied. "We've run into each other on a few digs." He looked between his wife and Tommy a few times. "I'm more surprised that you two know each other."

"We, uh… we went to high school together," Tommy said. "Wow, this is...wow." As he struggled to process this new information, he felt a buzz in his pocket. "Excuse me for a sec."

He opened his phone and checked the new message he received from Kat. "Sorry, love. Can we reschedule for tomorrow?"

He rolled his eyes and closed his phone.

"Kat?" Kim asked softly, her arm now wrapped around Smitty's waist.

"Yeah, seems she's taking a rain check on lunch," he said with a frown. His frown deepened when he saw Smitty press a gentle kiss to Kim's lips.

"You ready, babe?"

"Yeah, I just…" She bit her lip as she watched her ex. "Tommy, you gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," he said with a forced laugh. "Go ahead and enjoy your day. I'll find something to do around here. You two have fun."

Kim continued to look back even as Terrence escorted her out of the hotel. Tommy waited until he could no longer see her before dropping his smile. He headed back up to his room, a scowl etched onto his face.

His mind was reeling at the news that Kim was married to Smitty. Not that it should matter to him in the slightest – he was married to Kat, and Smitty was a decent enough guy.

So why did it bother him so much?

And why was he more upset about that then the fact that he wasn't going to see his wife today?

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait," Hayley said holding up a hand. "Stop."

She leaned closer to her friend. "Smitty was married to Kimberly?" she asked incredulously. "Was he…?"

Tommy shook his head. "No." He downed his shot. "The guy she dumped me for was another gymnast at the compound. Smitty came after that."

"How did they even… when did they…" She ran her fingers through her hair, staring at her friend at a loss for words.

"They met in San Francisco at UC Berkeley," he said softly. "After Kim got her accounting degree at the University of Miami, she got an MBA so she could start her own gymnastics school. Terrence was already working on his doctorate by the time she started business school."

"She was in school when she competed in the Olympics? Impressive."

"She always was," he said softly. It was hard to hide the pride and respect in his voice.

"Did you know they were…?"

"I knew she was married, but not to him. I would have known if I'd been able to attend the wedding, but that was the summer I spent in Nakhan Ratchasima." Hayley nodded, remembering how excited he'd been about the opportunity to do a dig in Thailand with world-renowned paleontologist Jack Horner. "Kim and I kept in touch but not as much as before. Our lives had just gone in different directions, but we tried our best to keep in contact. Email mostly. Occasional rounds of phone tag, but we could never seem to sync up our schedules."

The redhead stared at him intently. "Must have been a shock for you to find out she married Smitty of all people."

"You could say that." He ran his finger along the rim of the glass. "Smitty wasn't a bad guy. Full of himself, but he seemed to treat her nice. That's all I'd ever wanted for her."

Hayley smiled softly, knowing he was being honest. "So, then what happened?"

London Hilton on Park Lane

London, England

September 12, 2003

"What do you mean something came up? An hour ago you told me you were on your way – now you have to cancel on me? Again?"

Tommy rubbed his forehead in frustration as he listened to Kat explain why she couldn't make it out to see him for dinner yet again. He was standing in the hotel lobby, dressed in dark denim jeans, black boots, a long-sleeved black shirt, and a fatigue bomber jacket.

"No, Kat…" He sighed. "No, it's fine. I'm just… I really wanted to see you is all," he said softly. "Of course I know how important this is. Right. Okay. Yeah, sure, we can try tomorrow. Okay." He glared at the phone when she hung up. "Love you, too."

A poke in his side startled Tommy, and he turned to see Kimberly wearing a cheeky grin. She was dressed in form-fitting jeans and a white sweater.

"Hey," he said, his irritation with Kat replaced with joy at Kim's sudden arrival.

Kim peered up at him. "Everything okay?"

Tommy stared at the phone in his hand for a few seconds before putting it in his jacket pocket.

"Everything is great now."

She smiled, and he couldn't help but smile back. Her energy was infectious.

"I was just going to head out and grab something to eat when I saw you down here. Wanna come with?"

"Oh." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "I wouldn't want to intrude on your time with Smitty."

She rolled her eyes. "You would be if he were coming. He's having dinner with some colleagues at some fancy place with food I can't pronounce. I'd rather not spend the evening listening to them talk about bones and dirt and DNA… blah blah blah." She gave a small grin. "No offense."

"None taken," the former Zeo ranger said shaking his head. Smitty was no doubt at dinner with Anton Mercer, one of the leading scientists in the field of paleogenetics. Tommy had also been invited, but he had turned down the invitation in order to spend the evening with Kat.

"I'd love to have dinner with you, Kim," he said. "Kat and I were supposed to meet up for dinner and then she was going to show me around the city, but those plans fell through. I'd much rather catch up with you than be cooped up in the hotel for the night."

She squealed and grabbed his arm, tugging him out of the front door of the hotel. She looped her arm through his and dragged him down the sidewalk, nearly tripping him in the process.

"Where are we going?"

"First, we're going to grab something to eat from this cute little pub up the road, and then we're going to tour London."

"Kim, you don't have to do that. I know you've already seen the city… I can go another time."

"No way! Tommy, you've already been here for a few days, and you haven't even seen the city. We're going to fix that."

Tommy knew better than to argue with her when she had her mind set on something. And honestly, the prospect of spending time alone with her beyond dinner was very appealing to him.

"Lead the way," he said.

The next four hours went by in a blur for him as he and Kim traveled across London. The pub they stopped at had delicious burgers and beer, something Tommy had been craving ever since he set foot in the country. Kim had teased him mercilessly when he had mistakenly spread marmite on one of the complimentary bread rolls, not knowing what it was. The salty taste nearly made him gag, and she laughed hysterically as he gulped down water to rid himself of the taste.

After dinner, they went further into the city towards the river. He took several pictures of the different historical monuments they passed, and it surprised him how knowledgeable she was, telling him random little facts about each one. In her excitement, she had grabbed his hand at one point to explain some funny story to him about the river once being flooded with sewage. His heart skipped a beat at the unexpected contact, and he had to force himself to concentrate on what she was saying and not how well her hand still fit inside his.

Once they made it back to the hotel, Tommy stopped to look through the shots on his digital camera. He stopped on a photo of them outside of Big Ben. A nice young lady had been kind enough to take a picture of the two of them outside of the clock tower. Tommy had been caught off-guard when Kim pounced on him from behind, her legs wrapping around his waist tightly. He had stumbled forward, nearly losing his balance and dropping her. Her soft giggles sent him into a reluctant fit of laughter, and the woman had captured the moment on camera.

He scrolled to the next image and smiled. It was a candid photo of Kimberly overlooking the River Thames. Her arms were crossed beneath her breasts and a soft smile graced her lips. Her hair was blowing slightly in the wind, and the sunset behind her cast an almost ethereal glow around her.

It might be his favorite picture of her yet.

"Hey!" Tommy turned, quickly shutting his camera off. Kim smiled brightly up at him.

"Hey," he said softly. "Thanks for taking me out today. I had a lot of fun."

She shrugged, nudging him gently in the shoulder. "You don't have to thank me. I always enjoy spending time with you, Tommy."

She flushed unexpectedly, biting her bottom lip. He watched in amusement as she tucked her hair behind her ear, remembering she used to do the same thing whenever she flirted with him when they were dating.

"Oh, you do, do you?" he teased, bumping her shoulder. "Sounds like someone might've missed me."

"I do miss you," she said sincerely. His smile dropped at the seriousness of her tone.

"I miss you, too, Kim," he whispered.

After their breakup, their friendship had become strained. Sure, they had moved past the pain of how she ended things, but it still hurt him to go from talking to her almost every day to barely talking once a month, if that. Kim had been such an important part of his life, a major influence on the person he had become, that the loss of their once deep friendship had been incredibly difficult for him to accept.

But spending time with her today and being with her now reminded Tommy of how much he truly missed her. He forgot how much she made him laugh, made him smile… how one look at her could send his head spinning and his heart beating so fast, he feared it might burst out of his chest.

She brought out a part of him that he thought had long since been buried – the part of him that felt alive and genuinely happy just from being around her. The part of him that wanted nothing more than to be the reason she smiled.

He wasn't really sure what to make of that.

Tommy cleared his throat. "Listen, I think I'm gonna head up to my room. Give Kat a call."

"Yeah, right," Kim said. "I should see if – if Terrence is back."

They walked in silence to the elevator, each pressing the number for their respective floors and riding up in silence. He took a deep breath when the elevator stopped at his floor.

"Well, this is me," he said.

Before he could exit the elevator, Kim pulled him into a tight embrace, burying her head into his chest. His arms wrapped around her just as tightly.

"Goodnight, Tommy," she murmured into his shirt.

"Night, Kim," he said into her hair, holding on for just a little longer than necessary before releasing her. Tommy waved goodbye once he got off the elevator, not moving an inch until the doors closed completely.

He headed to his room, pulling out his phone along the way and checking it. There were no new messages for him.

Oddly enough, that didn't bother him at all.

"I still can't believe Kat bailed on you like that," the redhead hissed. "You flew out early just to spend time with her."

"It wasn't her fault, Hayley," he argued gently.

"Tommy, it's not like you just decided to fly to London on a whim. You told her in advance. She could've made arrangements – dancers have alternates, you know…"

He smiled at his friend's fierce loyalty. "True, but she had already committed to – ."

"She made a commitment to you," Hayley growled, slamming the bottle of Bourbon on the counter. "She was your wife, Tommy. The least she could do is spend time with you when you fly halfway around the world to be with her."

The former Dino ranger said nothing, eyes downcast.

Hayley noted his discomfort and decided to change the subject. "I wish I could meet Kimberly. She sounds like a hoot."

Tommy grinned. "You'd like her a lot."

"I bet." Hayley poured another shot of Bourbon for them both. "I still can't believe all this time you never told me you saw her again."

He stared at the brown liquid in his shot glass. "It's not something I like to bring up."

She furrowed her brow. "Why not?"

He sighed, taking off his glasses and setting them on the counter. "Because not all of it was good."

London Hilton on Park Lane

London, England

September 15, 2003

Tommy growled low in his throat. This was the fifth time Kat had setup plans to meet with him, only to bail at the last second. His nostrils flared in anger – she didn't even have the decency to call and tell him. Now he felt like an idiot, dressed in black slacks and a button-down royal blue-shirt as he dined alone in the hotel restaurant.

Again.

"This seat taken?"

Tommy looked up, mood immediately improving upon seeing Kimberly standing there. She wore a maroon sleeveless blouse with a deep V-neck, a black pencil skirt, and black heels. Her hair was curled slightly and fell around her shoulders, and the dark red lipstick she wore drew attention to her lips.

She looked positively edible.

Tommy shook his head at the notion. This was Kimberly, his ex-girlfriend. He hadn't thought about her in that way in years, and it was completely inappropriate to do so now.

It was still true, though.

"Tommy?"

He looked up at her and smiled weakly. "Sorry..." He stood up and pulled her chair out for her. "Please have a seat."

Unintentionally, Tommy was able to get a nice view down the front of her blouse. He bit back a groan when he saw the golden necklace resting between her breasts.

"Ever the gentleman," she murmured as she sat down.

"You look stunning, Kim." He sat back down and took sip of his water, suddenly very parched. "What's the occasion?"

"I was supposed to be having dinner with Terrence tonight," she said with a sigh. "But he got caught up in a discussion with some famous guy. Anthony or whatever, I don't know. Apparently, it was so important, he had to cancel at the last minute."

Tommy snorted. "We should form a club," he sneered. "Abandoned Spouses United."

She furrowed her brow. "Judging from your comment and your clothes, I'm guessing Kat is a no show again?" she asked.

He took another sip of his water. "I know she's just busy, and I respect that. I've been busy myself and haven't always been able to make time for her," he admitted. "Just feels like I'm the only one trying lately."

He caught her curious gaze. "Sorry, I shouldn't be dumping all of this on you."

"You're my friend, Tommy," she said, reaching out to grab his hand. "I don't mind listening If you want to talk."

He stared intently at her hand, twisting his around to cup hers gently. "Thank you."

They locked gazes for a long moment, breaking the connection only when the waiter showed up.

"Ah. It seems everyone is here now. Would you like anything to drink, miss?

Kim bit her lip as she looked over the menu. "Diet coke, please."

"Of course," Tommy teased lightly, chuckling at the glare she sent his way. She'd been ordering the same drink ever since he first met her. "I'll take a ginger ale."

"Excellent, and do you know what you'd like for the evening?"

"If I order the bruschetta as a starter, would you split it with me?" Tommy asked. She nodded.

"The bruschetta, please. And for the main course… I'll have the beef fillet with asparagus and potatoes." He passed the waiter his menu.

"I'll take the grilled salmon," Kim said handing her menu to the waiter.

"Excellent. Your food will be out shortly," the young man said before leaving them. He returned again in a few minutes with their drinks.

"So," Tommy said leaning across the table. "How have you been enjoying your vacation?"

"It's been really good," Kim said after taking a sip of her drink. "Terrence and I got to do a bit of shopping today. I want to head back down to Piccadilly Circus tomorrow – I didn't get a chance to look through all the shops there."

He chuckled. "Is there even enough time?"

"Hush," she hissed playfully, causing him to laugh harder.

Kim grew serious after a while, eyeing him carefully. "You know I meant it when I said you could talk to me, right? I know we aren't as close as we used to be, but… I'm always here if you need to talk."

Tommy traced odd shapes along the table silently. "I don't know what I'm doing wrong," he said after a long stretch of silence.

"What do you mean?"

He sighed. "When we got married, I knew things would be difficult. Kat was over here at the dance academy, and I was overseas working on my Ph.D. The plan was always to move in together once I finished my doctorate but until then, we'd be living separately. I knew it'd be a strain on us being so far apart, but we'd already been through so much together… one more thing shouldn't have made a difference."

Kim nodded in understanding.

"We used to argue… a lot. She thought I wasn't making time for her, I thought she was being unreasonable." He paused to take a sip of his ginger ale. "It took quite a bit of swallowing my pride to admit that I wasn't being the best husband to her. I made a promise to change – to make more time for her and not get so wrapped up in my work. But now…"

"Things still aren't going well?"

He shook his head. "When I found out the conference would be in London, I added on a few days just so that I could spend some time with her. I told her early on I would be here so that she could make arrangements, if necessary." He rolled his eyes. "I haven't seen her once since I got here."

Kim shot him a sympathetic smile. "She loves you, Tommy."

"I know that," he whispered fiercely. "And I love her, too… but I don't know, maybe that's not enough anymore."

"Hey." She squeezed his hand. "Don't give up. Things can always turn around… I mean, look at me and Terrence."

He raised an eyebrow. "You guys were having problems, too?"

She nodded. "He was always gone, obsessing over whatever he was cooking up in the lab. I told him he needed to change his priorities or I wanted out."

Tommy whistled lowly. "How'd he take that?"

"We're still together, aren't we?" she pointed out before taking a sip of her drink. "Terrence realized I was serious and changed what he was doing. He still messes up sometimes, like tonight, but I know he's trying."

"He'd be an idiot not to try and keep you," Tommy said without thinking.

Silence fell over them at his words, and he fidgeted uncomfortably under her intense gaze.

"Only as big of an idiot as Kat would be for letting you go," she whispered.

Tommy locked eyes with her, seeing understanding, but more surprisingly, regret and longing in those brown depths.

And it was directed at him.

He licked his lips nervously. "Kimberly…"

The appearance of their waiter broke the tense silence. "Your bruschetta."

Tommy smiled gratefully and watched their waiter leave. He turned back to Kim, no longer able to see the emotions that were so clearly there before.

Had he imagined it?

"Oh, this looks so delicious," she said excitedly. She grabbed one and bit into it. "Tommy, it's amazing." She picked up another piece and held it out to him. "Try it."

He chuckled. "All right, all right." He leaned across and bit into the offered food, tongue brushing against the tips of her fingers. "Shit, that really is good."

Kim nodded, raising her fingers to her mouth and licking them lightly. It was the same spot his tongue had just touched, and the realization made him swallow hard.

The evening continued on with lighter conversation as they reminisced about the days of their youth. Tommy had almost forgotten how much fun Kimberly was to be around and the ease he felt when talking to her about anything and everything. He hadn't felt this relaxed in a long time, maybe even years – certainly not since arriving to London.

It felt really good.

By the time they were finished, his stomach hurt from all the laughing he'd done. Kim appeared to be in a similar state, her cheeks flushed red and eyes full of mirth.

'God, she's gorgeous,' he thought to himself.

Tommy paid for their meal despite her protests and offered her his hand, helping her to her feet and out to the hotel lobby. She looped her arm through his, giggling every so often while he led them both to the elevator. Kim rested against the wall as Tommy pressed the buttons for their floors. The elevator groaned as it made its way to the sixth floor.

"I'm not tired," she said suddenly, drawing his attention.

"What?"

"I'm not tired," she repeated. "I think I'm gonna have a nightcap." She nibbled on her bottom lip. "Care to join me?"

Something about the way she said it set off alarm bells in his head. Being near her suddenly felt dangerous, like they were on the edge of something precarious and about to fall over.

He kind of liked it.

The elevator dinged when it reached his floor, and Tommy contemplated what to do – go to his room and sleep or follow Kim.

When the elevator dinged again and the doors closed, he realized…it really wasn't a hard choice.

Kim grinned as they ascended to the ninth floor. She grabbed his hand and tugged when the doors opened.

"Come on."

She entwined their fingers as she led him to her room, pulling her key card from her purse and opening the door. He made his way over to one of the chairs next to the bed.

Kimberly kicked off her heels and headed over to the small refrigerator, pulling out a small bottle of scotch. She grabbed two glasses off the table and walked over to him. He watched as she poured each of them a shot's worth of alcohol.

"What time is Terrence coming back?" he wondered aloud. "It's getting pretty late."

"He's not," she said, slamming the bottle onto the table harder than necessary before sitting on the edge of the bed. "He's in Warwick for the night. Won't be back until tomorrow afternoon."

"I'm sorry, Kim," he said sincerely.

She shrugged. "I'd rather be here with you anyway," she said softly, grinning so widely he could see all of her teeth.

"To being with friends when the ones you love disappoint you," he murmured, raising his glass in the air.

Kim clinked her glass against his. They both downed their drinks, and Tommy hissed at the burn.

"Shit, that's really good," he breathed, picking up the bottle and pouring himself another shot. He poured her some as well when she held her glass out to him. They both drank it down quickly before refilling their glasses again.

"Mmm," she moaned as the alcohol started to hit her. Kim ran her fingers through her hair, and the dark look in her eyes made his pants grow uncomfortably tight.

Tommy finished his scotch and set the glass on the table. "I think... I think I'm gonna head back. Thanks for the drink, Kim."

He rose to his feet and stretched, already able to feel the buzz from the alcohol. Kim stood up as well.

"Thanks for joining me," she whispered. "For dinner and for the drinks."

He swallowed hard. "Yeah… yeah, it was fun."

Why did she smell so damn good?

Kim drank the last of her scotch slowly, lipstick staining the rim of the glass as she put it back on the table. She reached out and grabbed his shoulder, standing on the tips of her toes to press a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. His hands found the small of her back, holding her up against him tightly to make sure she didn't fall. He shivered as her breath fanned his cheeks.

He swallowed nervously from how close she was to him. All he had to do was turn his head just so and their lips would be touching.

The air in the room grew tense when he paused.

Hayley watched him carefully. She had a sick feeling about where this was going, but she refused to believe it. This was Tommy Oliver, the sweetest, most caring guy she'd ever known. He couldn't possibly do that.

But that nagging feeling in the back of her mind just wouldn't let up.

"Tommy… you and Kimberly… you didn't…" She laughed weakly, shaking her head. "What am I saying, of course you didn't."

She looked at him anxiously, hoping he would join in and reassure her that she was crazy. Instead, he looked up at her with such intense guilt, it nearly broke her heart.

"I'm sorry, Hayley," he whispered.

Kim moved back only a bit, looking over his face briefly right before she pressed a lingering kiss to his lips.

Tommy sighed when she kissed him. It was his first taste of her in nearly a decade, and she tasted just as sweet as he remembered. He captured her lips in a stronger kiss, and he instantly grew hard at the soft moan she gave when his tongue slid wetly against hers. He cupped the sides of her face and deepened the kiss, desperate to taste more of her.

He stumbled back when she pulled away from him, dark eyes fixed intently on her plump lower lip. He watched her drop to her knees, small hands unbuckling his belt and pulling down his fly. He hissed when she grabbed his cock, pumping it a few times before taking him into her mouth.

Shaking fingers tangled in her hair. "Ah… fuck, Kim…" He bit his lip hard at the sight of her bobbing up and down on him. Some of her lipstick rubbed off on his cock as she sucked him, turning him on more than he thought possible.

She was really, really fucking good at this.

Tommy let her suck him off for a few more minutes before stopping her and pulling her back up to stand on her feet. If this were any other time, he'd gladly let her finish and cum in her mouth – but he really wanted to fuck her right now.

He reached down and gripped her hips, turning her around so that her back was to him. He pushed her forward, watching with heated eyes as she fell onto the bed.

The former pink ranger gasped when she was tugged across the bed until her knees touched the floor. Tommy got down on the floor and crawled up behind her. Calloused hands slid up her thighs and under her skirt, hooking around her panties and pulling them down roughly.

"Please tell me you're on birth control," he begged while shoving the fitted skirt up and over her ass so that it bunched around her waist. He rubbed gently at her moist folds, dipping his fingers inside to finger her. He removed his fingers with a groan, sucking the wetness into his mouth.

Tommy watched with hooded eyes as Kim spread her legs, revealing her wet sex to him.

"Yes," she moaned softly.

That was all the encouragement his alcohol-addled brain needed to know that she wanted this just as badly as he did. He shoved his pants and boxers further down his thighs.

Tommy eagerly guided himself into her. He pressed his hand against the small of her back so that she lay still. Kim scooted away from him slightly at his size once he was in a few inches. He rubbed a hand up and down her back soothingly to calm her.

"Relax," he murmured.

Tommy watched in the mirror as her expression of discomfort gave way to intense pleasure, soft little moans escaping her throat every few seconds. She bit her lip as his cock continued to stretch her to accommodate his size.

"Arch your back a little," he told her, working his cock into her. "Yeah, just like that."

She was soft and warm and wet, her walls taking him in again and again as he fucked her deep and slow. He bit his lip and let his head fall back in ecstasy.

"Oh," he moaned, gripping her hips hard and moving faster. "Oh shit…"

Kimberly's arms lay splayed on the bed, hands intermittently clenching and pulling the sheets with a soft whine. He groaned when her tiny counterthrusts evolved into full-on bouncing on his cock, her moans of pleasure quickly growing in volume. Tommy gripped the edge of the bed to hold himself steady and add more power to his thrusts.

"Ohh… ahhh…. unh… yesyesyes!" she cried out.

The wet slide of his cock was loud in the bedroom. He lifted his shirt up and groaned at the sight of her creamy essence coating his shaft, while his balls smacked her against her ass on every stroke.

Her nails raked across the bed sheets when she came, her thighs trembling against the bed. Tommy kept thrusting, not slowing down in the slightest to give her time to come down from her climax. He could feel her trying to shuffle away from him, so he grabbed her by the shoulder and skirt to hold her in place, wanting her to feel every inch of his full thickness. A few more deep, forceful strokes turned her moans into high-pitched gasps and cries, and she pulled at the sheets hard enough to rip them from the mattress.

"Oh! Oh! OH!" She pressed her face into the sheets and shuddered as she climaxed again. "Ohfuck…please…"

Tommy slowed down to shallow, measured thrusts, tenderly caressing her body up and down as the aftershocks of her orgasm hit her. Every few thrusts he would sink in all the way, and she would whine his name, burying her face into the mattress.

It made his chest swell with masculine pride knowing how good he made her feel.

Tommy paused momentarily to adjust her legs. He lifted her up a bit more and spread her thighs wider, allowing himself to sink in balls deep on each stroke. Knowing his release was close, he fucked her faster, his grip on her skirt tight as he deep stroked her. Kim tried to hide her face in the mattress again, and he grabbed her hair and pulled.

"I wanna hear you," he growled, watching her face in the mirror across the room. He let her hair go when she nodded.

Her cries grew increasingly more frantic with time, reaching a crescendo that nearly hurt his ears. Tommy grinned at the way she clawed at the sheets, the buzz from the alcohol heightening everything he was feeling. He slapped her ass several times, getting off on her sharp cry each time his hand connected with the round flesh. He spread her cheeks slightly to give himself a better view of his cock sliding into her sex. Watching her take him in so deep made him feel hot all over and nearly pushed him over the edge.

"Fuck, Kim," he groaned, voice desperate with need. Tommy gripped her hips to hold her still and rapidly thrust into her snug heat. He watched the emotions flit across her face in the mirror, her gold necklace bouncing high in time with his strokes. Kimberly tensed up and gave a high-pitched gasp, the sheets fisted in her hands. She pushed herself up on the bed gasping, her hips rolling in tight circles on his pistoning cock. Her body trembled from the force of her orgasm, and her walls bore down on him in a vice grip. The tightness of her walls made his cock grow harder, and his thighs quivered when his climax suddenly rushed through him. Tommy came hard inside of her, unable to do more than grunt and grind out his pleasure throughout his intense climax.

He ran his hands over her ass lovingly once he was finished and pressed a kiss to her back. "Oh my god…"

Tommy gave one last hard thrust before pulling out of her and sitting back on his legs. Kimberly crawled up onto the bed slowly, biting her bottom lip anxiously as she stared at her ex-boyfriend.

In all honesty, Tommy wasn't really sure if what happened had actually happened. The wetness on his cock led him to believe he might not be dreaming, though he was still admittedly buzzed as hell from the alcohol in his system. He grabbed the bottle of scotch and poured himself another drink.

Kimberly swallowed nervously when he downed the liquid with a grimace, shivering slightly before slamming the glass back on the small wooden table. Her breath hitched when he crawled over to her and rose to his knees, face inches away from hers. He could smell the mix of scotch and mint on her breath.

She gasped when his fingers traced her lips. "Tommy," she whispered when his hand slid around to grip the back of her neck.

Tommy kissed her hard, leaning forward until they both lay flush against the bed. The two were a mess of limbs as they wrestled, sending clothes flying in every direction in their quest to get each other naked.

By the time all their clothes were off, all Tommy could do was watch and feel when she sank onto him and began to ride his cock with sinful expertise. Her breasts swayed above him, the pink pebbled nipples begging for him to take them into his mouth. He did so hungrily, and she tugged hard at his short spikes each time his tongue roughly flicked her taut nipples.

Tommy was quickly growing overwhelmed by everything. He wasn't sure if it was because he was drunk or not, but sex with her was absolutely the best he'd ever had. Even now, he was fighting a losing battle not to cum, and the way she was moaning his name was not helping. He grunted when she pushed him away from her chest and pinned him back against the bed. Short nails dug into his flesh, and the mix of pleasure and pain was a heady combination.

"Tommy," she whimpered, riding his cock frantically to reach her climax.

"That's it," he said encouragingly as she worked herself up and down his length. "Fuck me, Kim, don't stop."

"Ohgod!" she cried, her thrusts slowing down and becoming sporadic. He gripped her ass, moving her up and down his cock himself.

"Ohmygod...shit!" she screamed, cumming hard on him.

He cupped the side of her face and pulled her towards him until she lay flush against his chest. He kissed her, tongue dueling erotically with hers as she cried drunkenly into his mouth. Tommy wrapped his arms around her lower back and shifted his legs so that his feet were planted on the bed. She shrieked when he began thrusting vigorously into her.

Kimberly gripped the pillows beneath his head. "Please… please…wait… ah! Wait…fuck…ohmygod…" she whined into his mouth desperately.

Her walls fluttered around him again, and he bit his lip.

"I'm gonna cum…" he moaned, hands gripping her ass tightly as he continued to pound up into her.

She tensed up in his arms and screamed his name when she came again, her face wet with tears. Tommy felt his cock swell up, and he gripped her hips tightly to keep her from moving. He thrust mindlessly into her pussy, his orgasm rolling over him in slow waves.

"Kim… shit… ohgod… that's it… fuck that's it…ohshit… ungh…" he gasped against her lips, knees shaking each time his cock released a thick spurt inside of her.

Tommy arched beneath her as the last tremors rocked his frame. He went limp once his release ended and looked down at the trail of his seed from her sex, a stupid grin forming on his face from the sight.

They held each other tightly as the aftershocks subsided. They were tired and sweaty and drunk, and they giggled like children as they nuzzled their noses against each other. He sighed when she captured his lips with hers, a tanned arm wrapping around her neck and holding her to him.

In the back of his mind, Tommy knew they had done something tonight that was wrong and damaging, and they'd have to face the consequences of their actions in the morning.

But right now, laying there with her on top of him in his arms… he couldn't care less.

Tommy flushed under Hayley's intense stare.

"Hayley…" He squeezed the glass in his hand. "Please say something."

"What am I supposed to say, Tommy?"

He sighed heavily. "I-I don't know…" he admitted softly. "I don't know."

"You cheated on Kat," she said harshly. "How could you do that?"

"It wasn't planned," he tried weakly.

"It doesn't matter!" she nearly yelled. "You cheated on her. With your ex-girlfriend… who also happened to be married."

He knew part of the reason Hayley was so pissed was due to being cheated on herself. Her ex-boyfriend Justin had cheated on her multiple times, and it took catching him in the act for Hayley to find the strength to finally leave the bastard once and for all.

She hated cheaters.

"I know. We fucked up," he whispered. "I fucked up."

London Hilton on Park Lane

London, England

September 16, 2003

Tommy opened his eyes groggily. The alarm clock staring back at him read 7:09 AM. He groaned and grabbed the nearest pillow to cover his face.

"God dammit," he growled bitterly.

The smell of vanilla and strawberries hit him strongly, and he lifted the pillow in confusion.

Weird, it smelled like Kimberly's shampoo.

As he tried to go back to sleep, the events of the night before rushed to him all at once. Tommy sat up straight in alarm and looked around the room.

He was in Kimberly's hotel room. Kimberly and Terrence's hotel room.

He had sex with Kimberly. In the same bed she shared with her husband.

He cheated on his wife.

"Shit," he said miserably, stomach twisting into knots. The open bottle of scotch was still on the small wooden table next to their glasses.

Tommy scrambled out of the bed and found his clothes. He grabbed his boxers and pants and pulled them on. He froze when he saw a pair of panties sitting on top of his shirt, Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he recalled pulling them off of her without any hesitation last night.

Tommy ran his hands over his face tiredly. Jesus Christ, he needed to get out of here.

Kimberly was nowhere in sight, not that he necessarily wanted to see her right now. He wasn't even sure what the proper thing to say was in this type of situation.

Standing up, he groaned at the uncomfortable pressure in his abdomen. He really needed to pee. Grabbing his shirt, Tommy headed into the bathroom to relieve himself.

A rush of steam left the bathroom when he opened the door, and he froze when he saw Kim's naked body through the frosted glass. His mouth became dry as images of their night together played through his mind in vivid detail, causing his cock to twitch back to life.

Tommy shook his head and pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind. He set his shirt on the counter and went to the toilet, sighing in relief as he peed. He quickly flushed and washed his hands, rushing out of the bathroom as quickly as possible. He rested against the bathroom door for a moment to collect himself, taking deep breaths.

'Get your shit together, Oliver.'

Tommy went about locating his shoes and socks, hastily putting them on. He was all set to leave until he realized he'd left his shirt on the bathroom counter.

Back where Kimberly was.

"God dammit," he groaned as he headed to the bathroom once again and opened the door.

And stopped dead in his tracks.

Kimberly was no longer behind the shield of the shower door. She was standing with her back to him, bent over as she dried her legs with a towel. The angle was just enough for him to see the lips of her sex spreading open slightly, just like they did last night each time he slid deep into her.

Tommy tried to convince himself it wasn't a big deal seeing her naked again, but the straining erection in his pants said otherwise.

He cleared his throat awkwardly, and she stood up straight in surprise. Kimberly gathered the towel around her body and tied it in a knot.

"Tommy, I…" She tucked her hair behind her ear, eyes trailing down to the bulge in his pants then back up to his face. "Hi."

"Hi," he rasped. "I just need to – ." He pointed behind her to the shirt on the counter.

"Right," she said, moving so that she was out of his way. She picked up a brush and started detangling her hair.

Tommy moved past her and grabbed his shirt. He paused on his way out, watching her silently for a few seconds before leaving the bathroom. Tommy sat down slowly on the bed, his shirt resting in his lap.

He ran his fingers through his hair. After last night, there was no way in hell he would ever be able to look at her the same way again. What they did was wrong for so many reasons, but it was also one of the best nights of his life. And as horrible as it was to admit, he didn't regret being with her as much as he knew he should.

He looked up when she came out of the bathroom, now wearing a t-shirt and a pair of flannel pajama pants.

She bit her lip nervously. "I didn't think you'd still be here."

"Neither did I," he admitted. Tommy raised an eyebrow at the way she fidgeted, curling in on herself as if she were afraid.

Of him.

"Why do you look scared?"

"Because I am scared," she snapped. "I woke up this morning in your arms, and the first thing that crossed my mind was thank God the maid will change the sheets before Terrence gets back. What kind of wife thinks that after she cheats on her husband?" She paced in front of him. "This wasn't supposed to happen, Tommy. I'm happy with Terrence. I love him."

"Hey, it's not like I planned this, all right? I didn't seduce you into sleeping with me," he said crossly. "We're in the same boat here, Kim."

"Then why the hell are you so calm?"

"You don't think I'm scared, too?" he asked incredulously, rising to his feet. "Kat and I were struggling enough on our own trying to get through the problems we already had. There's no way in hell she'll forgive me for this!"

Kim crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm sorry," she whispered, lower lip trembling.

He sighed. "It's not… it's not your fault. Not entirely, anyway."

A tense silence settled over the two.

"Our relationship ended years ago, Tommy."

"I know."

"I moved on."

"So did I."

"Then why did we…?" She wiped at the tears on her cheeks. "We shouldn't have had those drinks before – "

"We weren't that drunk, Kim," he whispered, tone sharp. "You know why this happened."

Tommy wasn't one for casual sex. The feelings had to be there for him to go there with a person, especially for him to even entertain the idea of cheating. And he knew, if the feelings were there for him, there was a good chance Kim felt the same. Being around each other had stirred up feelings they both thought were long gone.

Kimberly looked away from him guiltily. "I shouldn't feel this way about you anymore, but I do." She shook her head. "It's not right."

He understood exactly. Tommy had been sure his feelings for Kim had safely moved into the friend category. The last few days and their time together last night had been nothing short of a revelation.

"We just need to move past this," she said shakily, avoiding eye contact. "What's done is done, and we'll just pretend it never happened."

"Okay," he said softly. "If that's what you want."

Kimberly looked at him in surprise. "Isn't… isn't that what you want?"

He hadn't meant to say that last part out loud, but since it was already out there, he figured he might as well be honest.

"I don't know what I want, Kim." Tommy walked forward and grabbed her hand, thumb brushing over her knuckles gently. "I'm confused and happy and disappointed in myself all at once. I feel like the worst husband in the world and can't even imagine looking Katherine in the eye after this." He laced their fingers together. "But I also feel like things happen for a reason. Maybe last night means something, maybe it doesn't… all I know is that I don't want the way I feel when I'm with you to stop."

A tear fell from her eye as she looked at him.

"Can you honestly say you don't feel the same?" he asked.

"I-I do," she said after a long silence, warming his heart. "But, Tommy, we can't do this any – mmph!"

Tommy hadn't intended to kiss her, but he didn't have the words to express how he felt at her confession. Kim's arms twined around his neck and she kissed him back, sucking on his bottom lip. His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to him so his lips and tongue could trail down to the hollow point of her throat. He cupped her ass, pressing her into him in order to grind his cock against her. Her fingers slid into his hair, and he hissed when she pulled him back to look at her.

"This is the last time," she said huskily.

"Okay," he whispered distractedly, aiming for her neck again.

She pulled on his hair hard to stop him and forced him to look her in the eyes. "I mean it."

He stared at her silently for a long time. "Okay." He returned his attention to her neck, licking and nipping at her pulse point.

"Shit," she gasped arching into him.

His hands slid beneath her shirt and found her breasts, rolling her nipples between his fingers and tugging them until they were hard. He shoved the tank top higher up, sucking hard on her breasts until she writhed against the wall.

She moaned when his tongue slid down her torso, dipping into her bellybutton playfully. Tommy yanked her pajama pants and panties down to the floor, teeth nipping at the flesh of her hip.

Kim tugged on his shoulders, pulling him back up and kissing him hard. He pushed her against the wall with his body, hands resting on either side of her head while she shoved his pants down his hips and pulled his cock from his underwear. Tommy pulled back and wrapped an arm around her waist, hoisting her up and spinning her so her back was to him.

He shoved his boxers down, freeing his cock and stroking himself roughly. He moved her hair to one side of her neck and kissed her exposed collar, careful not to leave a hickey. Tommy bent his knees slightly and gripped her hips, holding her in place as he slid into her. He thrust deep into her pussy, causing her to cry out. His eyes fluttered closed from the grip on his cock. He withdrew slowly and then slammed forward again, drawing a yelp from her that rang loudly in the hotel room. Tommy reached around and cupped her left breast, squeezing it gently. His free hand slid around her neck beneath her chin, tilting her head back so he could see her face.

He kissed her hard, sucking her tongue into his mouth with a hoarse moan. He broke the kiss and latched onto her earlobe, a hard grunt escaping each time he pushed into her. She gasped loudly after each thrust, breath hitching whenever he sank in to the hilt. Her nails dug into his thigh hard enough to draw blood, and the pain only fueled him to fuck her harder.

Her cries began to crescendo, and he cupped a hand over her mouth to silence her when she came, not wanting to draw unwanted attention from the guests next door. Her head rocked back against his shoulder with a muffled cry. Tommy pumped into her with short, hard thrusts, letting her walls suck and tug at his cock. He could feel how wet she was getting with each wave of her climax, each thrust making a wetter sound than the one before. She let out a sharp cry into his palm each time he slammed his hips against her ass, her thighs trembling from the impact.

Tommy shuddered as her pussy grew tighter and milked him steadily. "Fuck, you're… I can't…" he gasped. He grabbed onto her hips tightly, cock swelling from the intense heat around his shaft.

"Oh… f-fuck!" He leaned forward, kissing the side of her face sloppily. He whimpered, legs trembling from the pleasure.

"I'm cumming," he moaned, voice cracking as he neared his peak. Tommy moaned as her walls pulsed around his length. His fingers left bruises on her skin as he lunged deep inside of her, face contorting when he came.

"Ah…AH! K-Kim… AH!" He braced himself against the wall to hold himself up. Tommy buried his head into her shoulder and ground his hips against her, panting into her hair as he spilled into her. He pulled out with a wet pop when his climax came to an end.

Grabbing her chin, he turned her towards him and kissed her slowly, taking her bottom lip between his teeth. She whimpered when he ground his cock against her, sliding the head between the lips of her sex. Kimberly wrapped her legs around his waist tightly and rocked her hips back and forth along his length.

She yelped when he picked her up, still kissing her languidly as he walked them over to her bed. She giggled when he dropped her on the mattress, her laughter quickly turning into soft moans when he climbed on top of her and sucked on the shell of her ear. She gasped when he slid into her again, his tongue trailing down to her breasts and finding a hardened nipple. The former pink ranger moaned high in her throat when he lifted her legs up and over his shoulders, fucking her deep and slow, her nails digging into his sides as she begged him not to stop. The headboard scraped against the wall rhythmically, providing a nice bass to their heavy grunts and low moans.

A little over two hours later, Tommy inserted the key card into his door and walking inside his hotel room on shaky legs. He took a look at himself in the mirror and sighed. His shirt was incredibly wrinkled and buttoned up haphazardly. His pants were rumpled, his belt and fly still undone, and his hair was just a goddamn mess from Kim pulling on it so much.

He looked like he'd been in a fight.

Tiredly, Tommy kicked off his shoes and collapsed onto his bed with a groan.

Why did the complicated shit always have to happen to him?

He grabbed a pillow and covered his face, yelling his frustration into it. A muffled thump caught his attention, and he frowned when he saw his phone on the covers.

He narrowed his eyes. Had it been here the whole time?

Tommy tried to check it for any messages but saw that it was dead. He hooked it up to the charger and turned it on, not even remotely surprised when it buzzed to show there were five new messages. He checked them – two from his mother, one from Jason, one from Hayley…and one from Kat.

He swallowed thickly as he listened to the voicemail from his wife.

"Hey, Tommy, it's Kat. I can't meet up tonight because one of the dancers got injured in rehearsal. I'm taking her to the hospital now to get everything checked out. I have no idea how long this will take, but I'm guessing I'll have to cancel our dinner plans tonight. I'm so sorry, love, but in order to make it up to you, I took the next few days off! My alternate will take my place, and I'll get to spend some time with my wonderful husband. How's that sound? Give me a call back when you can. Love you!"

The former red ranger felt lower than dirt at the message. He'd been so angry with her last night when he thought she had bailed on him again, and it turns out that she was just helping someone who had been injured.

And he would have known that if he'd had his damn cellphone with him in the first place.

God, he felt like throwing up.

Her reaction to missing their date was to shift her whole schedule to make it up to him, even though she missed their date for a now completely understandable reason.

His reaction had been to have sex with his ex-girlfriend.

"Shit," he said angrily as he deleted the message.

Tommy swirled the brown liquid in his glass. "I know you're building up to saying something… have at it."

Hayley shook her head. "I don't really know what to say, Tommy. Of all the things you could have told me, this was not on the list of possibilities."

"I'm sorry."

"I just…" She sighed. "I never believed you would do something like this. It's like I barely even know you."

He looked away from her. "This is why I never told you the truth," he admitted. "I couldn't stand for you to look at me the way you are now."

"Angry?"

"Disappointed."

She opened her mouth to chastise him again but paused at self-loathing look on his face. She knew Tommy well enough to know he couldn't fake the pain on his face – he wasn't that good of an actor.

"Well… go ahead," she said.

"Go ahead what?"

"Obviously, there's more to the story. I'll try and reserve judgment until I hear the whole thing."

He flashed her a rueful smile. "The story's not going to get much better."

London Hilton on Park Lane

London, England

September 17, 2003

"Come on, Tommy! We're going to be late!"

"One sec!" he yelled, putting the finishing touches on his hair. He ruffled his hair back and forth until spikes emerged just how he liked.

"Done." He exited the bathroom and shut off the light. "Shall we?"

Kat grinned at her husband and grabbed his hand. "Let's go."

The couple headed downstairs and exited the hotel. Tommy flagged down a taxi.

"The Criterion in Piccadilly," she told the driver.

Tommy tensed slightly when she cuddled up against him, her head resting on his shoulder. He took a deep breath and forced himself to relax. He'd spent the last few days so angry with her for ditching him time after time – he should be happy that they were able to spend the evening together.

Unfortunately, all he could think about was how he spent the other night and yesterday morning pressed up against his ex.

"You okay?" Kat asked in concern. "You seem tense."

"I'm fine," he told her. "Just really hungry is all."

She grinned and kissed his cheek. "The food here is very good. I'm sure you'll love it." He nodded weakly, exhaling when she turned away from him and looked out the window.

Every so often, she would point out something along the way, explaining what it was. He wasn't really listening, too caught up in how claustrophobic it felt to be in the car with her.

Mercifully, the car pulled over in front of a crowd of people and stopped. "Here you are."

Kat paid the man and climbed out, Tommy following right behind her. Piccadilly Circus was packed with people, and he gratefully held on to her hand to keep from being separated. The rambunctious crowd jostled the couple, causing Tommy to collide hard with someone and nearly knock them over.

"I'm so sorry," he said to the woman. "Are you okay, mi – Kim?"

"Kim?" Kat repeated in confusion, blue eyes widening in delight at the sight of her old friend. "Oh my gosh, Kimberly!"

The petite brunette barely had time to react before she was engulfed in a hug from the tall blonde. She shot Tommy a panicked look over Kat's shoulder as she hugged the woman back.

Tommy turned when a hand grasped his shoulder. "Oliver, didn't expect to see you here."

Tommy gave a weak smile. "Hey, Smitty."

Of all the people to run into in one of the most crowded places in the heavily populated city, it had to be Smitty and Kimberly.

Shit.

"You out for dinner, too?" the shorter man asked, eyes on his wife and the blonde woman chatting off to the side.

"Yeah, we're going to the Criterion, I think." Tommy pointed at Kat. "That's my wife, Katherine."

"Ah." Terrence nodded in approval. "Good job, golden boy." He squeezed Tommy's shoulder. "Kim and I are going to eat there, as well. Would you like to join us?"

The Zeo ranger's eyes widened. "Oh, no, no, no. Uh, we really wouldn't want to hijack your date. Seriously."

"Nonsense," Smitty said dismissively. "It'll be fun."

Tommy's stomach lurched uncomfortably. "Erm… well, Kat? What do you think?" He shot her a desperate look, hoping she would understand his signal to say no.

"That sounds lovely," she said with a smile, her arm linked with Kimberly's. "Plus, it will give us all a chance to catch up."

"Great," he mumbled under his breath. "Just fucking great."

The four were seated at a table near the back of the restaurant. Katherine and Terrence sat across from each other, while Tommy and Kim sat opposite each other. For the most part, dinner went smoothly. Everyone was hungry, so eating took up most of the night, with polite conversation sprinkled throughout. Tommy's anxiety about the evening had waned over the course of dinner, and he even found himself voluntarily joining in the conversation.

"Well, I think it's great you two have been dating since high school," Smitty said as he took a sip of his beer. "You always hear about them, but you rarely meet high school sweethearts." He nudged Kim's side. "Did you think these two would stay together for so long when you knew them back then?"

An awkward silence fell over the table at his question. Smitty frowned at the looks on their faces. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Uh, well, no," Kat said gently. "It's just…well, when Kim was with us in high school, Tommy and I weren't dating at the time." She paused. "They were."

Smitty's eyes narrowed as he looked between his wife and Tommy. "Seriously?" he chuckled. "Wow, I didn't… I never would've guessed golden boy was your type, honey. Especially with that hair."

Tommy fought the urge to roll his eyes. Leave it to Smitty to try and use any opportunity to one up him.

Kim gave a strained smile. "He was… for three years."

Terrence nodded. "And then this lovely lady here came along, I'm guessing?"

Tommy grunted. "Something like that," he said gulping down his coke. He caught the apologetic look on Kimberly's face and looked away.

Terrence wrapped an arm around Kim's shoulders. "Well, it seems things worked out for the best, right? Tommy, you're with Katherine, and I managed to snag this wonderful lady here." He pressed a kiss to Kim's temple.

"Yep," Tommy said shortly. His eyes trailed down to the gold necklace around her neck, and he groaned internally, remembering the way it bounced around her neck as he took her roughly from behind two nights ago.

Tommy shook his head and flagged down a waiter. "I need a drink. Bourbon. Whiskey. Absinthe. Anything, please."

"So, what is it that you do exactly, Terrence?" Kat asked, mercifully changing the subject. "Tommy says you're a paleobiochemist, but I'm not sure what that entails."

Smitty grinned, thumb stroking up and down Kim's arm as he began to talk about himself, much to Tommy's annoyance. He tuned out Terrence's speech about himself, much more concerned with where the hell their waiter was with his drink.

"…a lot of untapped potential there. So much room for discovery and growth, and it's all locked away in the remains of the past." Smitty took another sip of his drink. "It's very challenging, but the rewards make it worth it."

Tommy gave the waiter a grateful smile when a glass of brown liquid was placed in front of him.

Smitty raised an eyebrow. "Whiskey? I would've thought you're more of a vodka man, Tommy."

The former red Zeo ranger took a sip of his drink. "Whiskey's more my speed." He glanced at Kim who was taking a sip of white wine. "I'm partial to Scotch. Always makes things interesting."

Kimberly started coughing uncontrollably, and Tommy smirked behind his glass. He knew their time together was also on her mind from the way she flushed.

"You all right, babe?" Terrence asked in concern. He rubbed her back in firm circles.

"I'm fine," she said clearing her throat. She shot Tommy a stern glare.

"How much longer will the two of you be in town?" Kat asked.

"Terrence will be here until the end of the conference, but I'm leaving in two days."

Tommy frowned. "So soon?"

"Yeah," she said softly. "I only have until the middle of next week until I go back to California. I plan to spend most of that time in Paris with my mom."

"Oh, that's lovely, Kimberly," Kat said. "It's such a shame – I wish I had known you were here. I would have loved to spend more time with you before you left."

The first pink ranger winced slightly, though only Tommy seemed to notice. "It's okay, Kat. I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to catch up in the future."

"What time are you leaving?" Tommy asked.

"Train leaves St. Pancras at 8 PM. We're going to spend as much of the next two days together as possible before I drop her off," Smitty said quietly.

Tommy could hear the sadness in the man's voice and shifted uneasily. No matter how much Smitty annoyed him, it was clear the man really did love Kimberly a lot.

And here he was having dinner with him after fucking his wife in their bed..

He felt like trash.

Tommy felt a strong headache coming on. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm beat. Think I want to head back to the hotel."

Kat nodded and grabbed his hand. "I'll join you," she said sweetly. He forced a smile on his face.

"I think the two of us may stay out a bit longer," Terrence said turning to Kim. "It's a beautiful night out, and I think I'd like to spend it with my wife."

Kim gave a soft smile that didn't quite reach her eyes and accepted his kiss. Tommy turned his head with a scowl and finished off his scotch. He raised his hand in the air to flag down their waiter.

"Check, please."

The ride back to the hotel was quiet. Seeing Kim and Terrence together had put Tommy in a sour mood, and while he felt bad for ignoring Katherine, he didn't care enough to pretend for her benefit.

Once in his hotel room, Tommy stripped off his clothes and went into the bathroom, throwing cold water on his face.

Why the hell was he so upset about this?

He was with Kat, and Kim was with Terrence. This was the way things were supposed to be. Their time together was just a fluke – it didn't mean anything.

Or at least, that's what he wanted to believe.

He left the bathroom and climbed into bed beside Kat. He shivered when she climbed on top of him, pressing kisses along his face and neck and finally against his lips. Tommy tensed when her kisses trailed lower, blonde hair disappearing beneath the covers. He felt her breath on his lower abdomen and gasped when a warm hand grabbed his cock and freed it from his boxers.

"Kat, no," he said forcefully. "Not…not tonight, all right?"

There was rustling beneath the covers and then a blonde head stuck out. "Seriously?"

He knew what she was thinking. It was their first time together in almost a year, and he was turning down sex. Honestly, she had every right to be confused.

He was confused himself.

"Tomorrow, okay? I just had a really long day… All I wanna do right now is sleep."

She stared at him for a long time with an unreadable expression before tucking him back in his boxers and rolling off of him. "Goodnight, Tommy."

He sighed, knowing from her clipped tone she was pissed. Tommy considered going through with it and sleeping with her, but the thought alone made him nauseous. He couldn't bring himself to do it after being with Kim just yesterday, and more to the point – he didn't want to.

Tommy closed his eyes and tried to sleep, but his mind just wouldn't shut down. Thoughts of Kat and Smitty raced through his head. Kat crying when she found out what he'd done. Smitty red-faced and furious that his colleague would sleep with his wife. His friends, family, and peers finding out he was an adulterer, unworthy of the reputation and accolades he'd earned over the years.

And then there were thoughts of Kimberly. Her smile when she looked at him. The way she teased him, determined to get him to break and laugh. The way his heart swelled when they walked side by side, her arm looped through his. How good it felt to hold her in his arms and breathe in the smell of her. The way her legs felt wrapped around his waist when he was buried deep inside of her.

He groaned. What was she doing to him?

An hour later, his eyes snapped open when his phone buzzed on the nightstand. Glancing over at a sleeping Kat, he picked it up and opened it.

1 new message from Kimberly Hart.

His hands instantly felt clammy, and he turned to check on Kat one more time. Anxiously, he opened the message.

"Hey."

A small smile formed on his lips. "Hi."

His phone buzzed again. "What was up with you tonight?"

Tommy sighed. "Sorry. Smitty gets under my skin." He paused. "He's kind of an asshole."

A full minute passed before he received another message. "Rude." He grinned.

A new message came a few seconds later.

"But that's not what I was talking about. The scotch comment?"

He ran his fingers through his hair. "I know, I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry."

Another buzz. "Don't be."

He raised an eyebrow at this. "Meaning?"

Another minute passed before there was a new message. "Where's Kat?"

He frowned, both at the question and her refusal to answer him. "Right here," he answered. "Where's Smitty?"

"Laying down beside me."

He rolled his eyes at her answer and set his phone back down on the nightstand. Thoughts of Smitty touching her, kissing her, making love to her... his lip curled up in disgust.

He hated it.

Tommy picked up the phone again, fingers running over the keys lightly. Impulsively, he typed out what was on his mind.

"I wish it was me with you instead," he wrote, hitting send before he lost his nerve.

Ten minutes passed without a response from her, and he wondered if maybe he'd taken things too far. She had made it clear that things were supposed to go back to normal between them – his text certainly wasn't adhering to that. He moved to put the phone back on the nightstand when it buzzed against his palm. He opened the message, smiling softly at what he saw.

"Me too."

"Oh, Tommy…"

Tommy picked up his glasses and put them back on. "Yeah."

Hayley sighed. As much as she hated what he'd done, she couldn't help but be intrigued. She'd never seen her friend behave this way over a woman, not even when he was with Katherine. It was kind of adorable once the whole cheating aspect was overlooked.

Hayley shook her head with a light smile.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing, I just… " She chuckled. "This Kim really did a number on you."

At his raised brow, she elaborated. "This is a whole other side of you I've never seen before."

Tommy gave a half-smile." Kimberly has a way of making me do things I never thought I was capable of."

The redhead considered this. "Anyone capable of getting you to cheat must be something else." She poured herself some more Bourbon and took a sip. "Kinda makes me wonder what else she could get you to do."

Tommy gave a soft chuckle. "Hayley… you have no idea."

London Hilton on Park Lane

London, England

September 19, 2003

Tommy slipped his undershirt on, lifting his arms to put on deodorant as he stood in front of the mirror. He had just come back from Anton Mercer's presentation of his ongoing research in dinosaur genetics, the last major event of the conference he wanted to attend. After exchanging business cards and having a brief but insightful conversation with Dr. Mercer, Tommy rushed back to his hotel room to get ready.

He and Kat were planning to meet up tonight so she could take him around the city. He didn't have the heart to tell her he'd already done some touring with Kimberly, so he simply smiled and accepted her offer, knowing it was her way of apologizing to him for so many canceled dates.

It was growing difficult for him to keep up the positive attitude, though. The fact that she even felt the need to apologize after what he'd done make him sick to his stomach.

It also didn't help that he hadn't seen Kimberly since their dinner at the Criterion. The two of them had managed to keep their physical distance, though he struggled to keep her off his mind. Any woman with brown hair or wearing pink instantly grabbed his attention, and he was always disappointed when it turned out to be someone else. She was always on his mind, to the point where he'd almost called Kat by her name – something he hadn't done since high school.

Tommy glanced at the clock on the nightstand.

6:16 PM.

Kim's train to Paris would be leaving in a little under two hours. The thought of her being gone caused a familiar ache in his heart, one he hadn't felt since the day she left for Florida to train in the Pan Globals. How he wished he'd had the balls to ask her to stay then or even go with her. Of course, he knew as a minor, he didn't have the ability to make decisions like that… not like he does now.

He looked at the clock again.

6:20 PM.

Tommy nibbled on his bottom lip. She was leaving from St. Pancras International. That was only a twenty-minute ride by car from the hotel.

He shook his head at the idea taking shape in his mind. "Don't even think about it, Oliver. You've made more than enough bad decisions this week."

6.22 PM.

Tommy sprayed some cologne on his forearms. He'd never been to Paris before. He'd always heard it was a beautiful city. So much art and history. Great food. Plenty to do.

Not to mention, it was the City of Love.

6:23 PM.

"Fuck it," he whispered. He rushed to the bathroom, grabbing all of his toiletries and dumping them on the bed. He then grabbed his clothes hanging up in the closet and tossed them on the bed, too.

Tommy pulled his cellphone from his pocket and dialed Kat's number. It went straight to voicemail.

It was for the best – he might lose the courage to go through with this ridiculous plan if he actually heard her voice.

"Kat, hey, it's Tommy." He folded up his shirts and pants as best he could and repacked them. "Look, something came up, and I won't be able to make it tonight. In fact, it looks like I'll be busy for the next few days." He put his toothpaste, toothbrush, and soap into the mesh pocket of his suitcase. "A group of us were invited today to see some research from Dr. Mercer over in Bristol... I don't think I can pass this up."

Guilt ate away at him as he continued with the partial truth. He had been invited to see some of Dr. Mercer's research, but he'd already turned down the offer.

"I'm really sorry. It just came up a few minutes ago. I'll call you when I get there. Bye." He hung up the phone with a sigh.

"What are you doing, Tommy?" he asked himself quietly, still packing up his things. "This is fucking insane."

He zipped up his suitcase and set it to the side, his backpack joining it shortly after. Tommy shrugged on his red button-down shirt and slipped on a pair of dark brown boots. After double-checking he had all of his belongings, he went downstairs to check out of his hotel.

"Okay, Mr. Oliver, it says here your stay is for another four nights." The woman behind the counter frowned. "Was everything not to your satisfaction?"

"Everything was great, it just… something came up and I have to leave. Now."

She nodded. "Okay, sir." She typed for a while on the computer. Tommy glanced at his watch and grew antsy. It was now 6:34 PM.

"You're all set, Mr. Oliver," she said. "Safe travels."

"Thank you," he told her as he grabbed his things. He flagged down a cab once he was outside.

"Where to, sir?" the driver asked when he climbed inside.

Tommy twisted the silver band on his ring finger a few times before pulling it off and shoving it in his pocket.

"St. Pancras station."

Fifty minutes later and close to two hundred dollars poorer, Tommy made his way into the waiting area for the train from London to Paris. He searched the area anxiously for his ex, smiling when he spotted her off in a corner reading a book. She was wearing dark jeans and a black sweater with some Converse sneakers.

"This seat taken?"

Kimberly stared at him like a deer caught in headlights. "T-Tommy?"

"Kim." He sat down beside her. "I'm supposed to be out in London right now with my wife, exploring the city and spending time with her. But instead, I'm here, in a train station after blowing a good chunk of my money so that I can go to Paris to be with you after you told me what we had was done."

He shook his head in confusion. "What the hell am I doing here, Kimberly?" he whispered, covering his face with his hands.

Several seconds passed before she grabbed the hand closest to her and pulled it into her lap. "I don't know… but I'm really glad you didn't listen to me."

Tommy smiled and entwined their fingers. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about you," he told her. "I've tried, Kim, so many times… but I just can't shake you."

She reached out cupped his jaw. "Me either." She traced his bottom lip with her thumb.

His heart grew tight with her confession. "This is crazy, Kim."

She leaned forward and kissed him softly, barely brushing her lips against his. "I know."

He turned her left hand over in his, his thumb and forefinger gripping her wedding ring. Slowly, he pulled it off and examined it before offering it to her. Kim grabbed it shakily, sadness shining in her eyes for the briefest of seconds before placing it in her purse.

They jumped slightly when an announcement came over the PA system. Their train would be leaving from platform six, and all passengers needed to head over now.

Kimberly stood up and grabbed her bags, her purse slung over her shoulder. She reached out a hand to him. "You ready?"

Tommy stared at her outstretched hand for several seconds before grabbing it and rising to his feet. He wasn't ready – he was scared out of his goddamn mind. He was cheating on his wife with an ex who was cheating on her husband. And now the two of them were running off to another country to be together, officially turning their fling into a full-on affair.

But as he looked at Kimberly and the soft way she smiled up at him, all those worries instantly faded away.

Being with her was worth it – it had to be.

"Let's do it."

"Jesus, Tommy. You told me you spent that time with Kat."

"No, I told you I spent it with the person I wanted to be with more than anything," he corrected. "You just assumed I was talking about Kat."

The redhead shook her head and resisted the urge to smile at his show of cleverness in such a shitty situation.

"A large part of me wants to crack this bottle across your head."

He winced. "And the other part of you?" he asked hesitantly.

"Can grudgingly admit that I've never seen you happier than when you talk about being with Kimberly." She frowned. "Even if the circumstances aren't the best."

He grew contrite. "We never meant to hurt anyone, Hayley, I swear. But she and I… we just… click," he finished lamely.

"Yeah, a little too well," she muttered. "So, what happened after your little Parisian affair?"

Hôtel Maison Souquet

Paris, France

September 23, 2003

Tommy pressed a kiss to the top of Kim's head as she lay on his chest. She drew idle patterns on his abdomen while his fingers carded through her hair.

They'd spent the last four days in Paris together, alternating between making love and touring the famous city.

"What do you want to do today?" he asked gently.

She sighed into his chest. "You're leaving in a few hours… how about we just stay in?"

He smiled at that and kissed her again. He was taking a red-eye flight back to Boston from London, and he needed to take the afternoon train back to England in order to make it back in time.

Kim crawled over him and straddled his body. "I'm really sad you're leaving," she told him.

"So am I." He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. "We need to talk," he said softly, hating to ruin the mood.

"About?"

He curled her hair around his finger. "What's going to happen once I'm gone?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean." She pulled back from him. "What we've been doing doesn't change the fact that you're still married to Terrence, and I'm married to Kat."

She groaned. "I know."

"I can't go back and pretend none of this ever happened, Kimberly." His eyes hardened. "I won't."

She studied him closely. "You're going to tell her." It wasn't a question.

"I have to," he said fiercely. "I haven't been happy with Kat in a long time… it took being with you to finally admit it and do something about it."

"It won't be pretty," she warned him.

"I'm prepared for that." He nuzzled his nose against hers. "What about you?"

Kimberly bit her lip nervously. "Terrence and I have been trying to make this marriage work. Things were going well, despite some setbacks, but now…" She sighed as she cupped Tommy's cheek. "I know it's not enough."

"So, you'll tell him?"

She nodded. "I'll tell him."

He turned his face towards her hand and kissed her palm lightly. "And us?"

Kim wrapped her arms around his neck loosely. "Let's get through this first… then we can figure us out," she whispered against his lips.

"Okay," he said before kissing her soundly. He rolled them over so that she was on her back. He swallowed her gasp when he pushed inside of her once again, her soft cries sending shivers down his spine.

"And that was the last time I spoke to her," he said wistfully.

"What? Tommy, that was almost three years ago… Nothing since? No phone call? Email?" He shook his head.

"Letter?" she asked with a snicker.

"Cute," he said dryly.

"Did you try reaching out to her?" she asked seriously.

"Once or twice, but I had my own problems to deal with." The black ranger frowned. "Once I got back to Boston, it ate away at me what I'd done to Kat. I called her and told her what happened." He chuckled mirthlessly. "Needless to say, she was not happy. Two weeks later…"

"You got the divorce papers in the mail," she said, now putting the pieces together.

She had been outraged on his behalf when a young man appeared at his doorstep to serve him divorce papers. For Kat to be so dismissive of her friend when he flew across the world to see her and then file for divorce was so uncharacteristically mean of the blonde woman. Hayley had immediately taken Tommy's side.

Now, she understood the situation a lot better.

"That's why you didn't put up much of a fight," she realized.

Tommy nodded. "I cheated on her… betrayed her trust in me. She had every right to want a divorce."

Hayley wouldn't argue that. "What about Kimberly?"

"Word spreads fast in the ranger community," he said wryly. "About two months after the trip to London, I got a call from Aisha. Kim and Terrence were getting divorced."

Hayley looked at him curiously. "Two months? I would've thought he'd have filed sooner than that."

"Smitty didn't file for divorce. Kim did."

That certainly surprised her. "Wait what?"

"According to Aisha, Kim came clean about cheating on him around the same time I did with Kat. Smitty was hurt, but he wanted to work past it and save their marriage." Hayley frowned, for the first time feeling true sympathy for Smitty. "In the end, Kim just couldn't do it anymore. Told him what she felt for him wasn't enough. That she remembered what it was like to truly be in love, and that wasn't what she had with him."

"Damn, that's brutal."

"That's what I said." He sighed. "And then she just…vanished. The only people she really keeps in contact with are Billy, Aisha, and Trini."

Tommy understood why she chose to stay in contact with them. Their friends had been pretty split on the whole Kim-Tommy-Kat affair when they found out, reactions ranging from anger to disbelief. Those three were the people she was closest to that Tommy knew wouldn't judge her for what she'd done or remind her of her mistakes.

It hurt to know he didn't make the list.

"And Smitty?"

"I don't think Kim ever told him it was me, just that it was someone from her past." He scratched at a stain on the counter. "But Smitty wasn't an idiot."

"He confronted you about it?"

"No… not outright. He'd make comments, as if he was fishing for information. At most, I think he suspected it was me, but he had no proof." Tommy shook his head. "Whatever the case, the next time I saw him… it was clear the divorce had changed him."

Center of Mercer Island

Southwest coast of Mexico

June 15, 2004

"The east side of the island is where you'll be doing most of your work, Tommy. A team has already mapped out the dig site. I'd like for you to oversee the excavation."

"Of course, Dr. Mercer," Tommy said as he studied the map that was handed to him.

"Please, Tommy, call me Anton," the blond man said with a smile. "I'll be back at the main building if you need anything."

Tommy headed down the trail towards the dig site. From what he could tell from the map, it looked like it stretched across nearly a quarter of the island. He forged through the wild plants and over the uneven terrain, coming upon a large tree with leaves the size of his body. Tommy shoved the leaves out of his way and came to an abrupt stop at the sight before him.

The path sloped down slightly into a large area filled with dozens of people and tents. He had never seen a dig with so many people before.

"Damn," he muttered as he approached the site, right arm tired from carrying his bag of equipment so far. "Must be something special down there."

Tommy was so distracted by the activity around him that he didn't notice the man approaching on the side of him. The two collided roughly, causing Tommy to drop his map.

"Sorry, man, I wasn't paying attention," he said as he grabbed the map off the ground and shoved it into his front pocket.

"Whatever, golden boy."

Tommy frowned at the familiar nickname and turned to face the other man. "Smitty?"

It was definitely Smitty, though he looked a little worse for wear. His hair was longer, almost shoulder-length now, and unkempt. His eyes had a hardness about them that wasn't there before, and there were stress lines etched into his normally youthful face.

"Oliver," he said crisply.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here," Tommy said after an awkward silence.

"Why not? I'm every bit as good as you are," he said heatedly. "Of course Dr. Mercer would want me here."

"I never said you w – never mind." Tommy sighed. "How have you been, Smitty?"

Smitty rolled his eyes. "That's a stupid question, don't you think?"

Tommy swallowed hard. "Right." He scratched the back of his neck. "Listen, I heard about… I'm sorry, man."

Terrence snorted. "I'm sure you are."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Terrence murmured. "How is she, by the way?"

The taller man's eyes narrowed. "I wouldn't know."

"Wouldn't you?" Smitty asked snidely. "You two are such good friends, right?"

Tommy raised an eyebrow. If Smitty knew what really went down between him and Kimberly, they'd be having a very different conversation right now, one most likely involving their fists. He recognized Smitty's anger for what it was – bitterness at his divorce and lashing out at the easiest target.

It just so happened that, unbeknownst to Smitty, he had chosen the right target.

"Kim has people she talks to about that sort of thing. I'm not one of them."

"Of course." Smitty rolled his eyes. "She'd never turn to the golden boy for anything."

Tommy clenched his jaw tightly, choosing not to rise to the bait. "Smitty, I'm sorry things didn't work out with you and Kim, truly, but what goes on between you two is none of my business. I'm just here to do my job and get some experience with Dr. Mercer." He held out his free hand. "I'd really appreciate it if we could work together without you biting my head off."

The hard glint in Terrence's eyes softened at his words. He grabbed Tommy's hand and shook it firmly, a slight grin on his face reminiscent of the way he used to be. Tommy forced a smile on his face, nausea hitting him strongly. He hated lying, especially about something so serious, but he didn't see any other option.

Tommy released Smitty's hand and made to turn, only to stop when Smitty reached out and grabbed his hand again.

"Smitty?" he questioned. "What are you doing, man?"

"Where's your wedding ring, Oliver?" Tommy froze at Smitty's tone.

The blue-eyed man stared at the area where the silver band used to be with an unreadable expression. "Huh. Seems we both got divorced," he said curiously. "Hell of a coincidence, don't you think?"

Tommy's mouth felt incredibly dry all of a sudden. "Yeah." He cleared his throat. "The distance was just too much for us, it seemed. We decided it'd be better off to split amicably."

Terrence's nostrils flared briefly before he dropped Tommy's hand, hurt and anger in his blue eyes. "I'm sure," he said tightly.

Tommy gripped the map tightly. "Look, Terrence, I have to go – Dr. Mercer wants me to check on the excavation. But we can catch up later, yeah?"

"Sure, golden boy," he said tightly. "Whatever you say."

When Smitty walked away, Tommy closed his eyes with a sigh. Terrence was way too smart for his own good – he was already close to figuring out what happened.

He knew he owed the man the truth about what he'd done, but it was too risky to tell him now. Terrence's expertise would be critical to the research with Dr. Mercer and telling him the truth about Kim would make working with him impossible. Tommy needed this research project to go well – after the divorce and losing all contact with Kim, he had thrown himself into his work to keep from sinking into a deep depression. Smitty would undoubtedly leave the project if he knew he had to work with the man that was the driving force behind his divorce.

'You're being selfish, Tommy, and you know it,' he told himself. 'He deserves to know what happened.'

"And he will, just…not now," he reasoned aloud.

Once they made significant progress in their research, he'd tell Smitty the truth. He promised.

"You know the rest from there," he said softly.

After the narrow escape from Mercer Island, Tommy was found floating in the water by some college students who were spending summer break in Puerto Vallarta. They helped him out of the water and back to dry land, taking him to a nearby hospital for treatment. Tommy had been devastated when he awoke days later to learn what happened. Anton, Smitty, and the others were presumed dead, and all of their research had been lost in the explosion, save for the gems he managed to grab before jumping off the cliff. Heartbroken over the loss, Tommy spent the remainder of his summer healing in California at his parents' house.

When the school year started again, Tommy had little motivation to pursue his degree. Luckily, he had already done enough research to put together a solid thesis, and Hayley had to drag him kicking and screaming through his final year of school. She understood her friend's depression, but to throw all of his hard work away when he was so close to getting his Ph.D. was completely unacceptable to the redhead. Tommy reluctantly agreed to finish out the year, but he was adamant about not doing any more research after what had happened on Mercer Island. When Hayley pointed out that he wouldn't be able to feed himself if he was unemployed, Tommy looked into other jobs he could apply for with his degree. Teaching science was the one he felt most comfortable pursuing – it was already his area of expertise and would give him the chance to work with kids again. With his mother and Hayley's help, he just barely managed to fulfill the requirements to enroll in the First-time Teacher Internship program for the state of California.

His mother had recommended Reefside to him – it wasn't too far from Angel Grove, and it was a quiet town, unlike the always lively Boston he'd become familiar with over the last few years. The seclusion also provided Tommy with the perfect location to begin the construction of his command center to house the years and years of power rangers' history left behind in the remains of the Power Chamber. Billy had reassured him that no unauthorized persons would ever be able to access the classified information stored there, but Tommy still wanted to move it somewhere that wasn't the blown-out ruins of their former base of operations.

That summer, Tommy made the move to Reefside a week after purchasing his new home. He had expected life in the small city to be simple. In three years, he would complete the internship program, becoming a certified teacher for the state of California. At most, he expected the occasional assist to active ranger teams like he did for Wild Force a few years back.

He should have known things could never be that simple for him.

Hayley stared at him in disbelief. "You know, Trent told me once how Zeltrax used to get angry at Elsa for having a crush on you. Said he had a thing for her and that her feelings for you really got under his skin." She shook her head again. "Now I can see why."

"Yeah."

She peered at her friend closely, able to tell from the slouch in his shoulders that he really did feel awful.

"Look, Tommy, what you did with Kim was… well, it was terrible, but it still doesn't make you responsible for Smitty's actions. Plenty of people get cheated on, and you don't see all of them going around trying to kill everyone, do you?"

"No," he reluctantly agreed. "But it doesn't change what I did, Hayley. His life's work. The damage to his body." He swallowed hard. "His marriage. I'm responsible for so much of what went wrong in his life. Even you can't deny that."

Hayley considered his words for a minute and gave a sad smile. "I think what I think doesn't really matter." He shot her a confused look. "No matter what I say – what anyone says – you're never going to forgive yourself for what happened to Smitty, regardless of whether or not it's actually your fault."

Tommy looked away, knowing what she said to be true.

Hayley regarded him for a long moment. "We've known each other for ten years, Tommy, and somehow you still manage to surprise me. In good and bad ways."

He glanced at her briefly. "Thanks," he said, voice despondent.

"I don't hate you, Tommy," she said softly, earning her a curious look. "You're still my best friend. I just have a different perspective on you now."

"A worse one?" he asked bitterly.

"No. Just…different."

The former Dino ranger gave a soft smile before standing up. "I think I'm gonna head home, Hayley. You all good here? I can drop you off home." He knew she'd had too much to drink to drive anywhere tonight.

She shook her head. "I'm good, Tommy. I'll call myself a cab in a bit." She flashed him a smile when his expression grew worried. "I'll be fine, and I'll send you a text when I get there. Drive safe, Tommy."

"Always." Tommy waved goodbye as he left the Cyberspace. He climbed into his Jeep and made the long drive back to his house, thoughts of Smitty and Kim and Katherine swirling around in his head the whole time.

When he made it home, Tommy tossed his keys onto the coffee table with a sigh and took off his glasses. He walked into the kitchen, wanting to grab a drink of water before going to bed. He poured himself a glass, confusion settling in when he saw the red flashing light on his answering machine.

He walked over to the phone, eyebrow raised when he saw he had three new messages. He set his drink down and pressed play.

"3 NEW MESSAGES. FIRST NEW MESSAGE." He heard rustling over the speakers. "Tommy, it's Mom. I need to know if you're going to be home for the Fourth of July this year. Your dad is planning to use the grill, and you how that's going to turn out. Give me a call back when you're free, sweetie. Love you!"

Tommy chuckled. The last time his father had used the grill, he'd nearly set the neighbor's house on fire when the flames grew too big and accidentally reached their tree. Luckily, the fire was put out very quickly, but his mother had been understandably wary ever since.

"MESSAGE SAVED. NEXT MESSAGE." He frowned when he heard faint yelling in the background of the call. "Hey, Tommy, it's Adam. Just calling to let you know Rocky and I will be hosting a martial arts expo at my dojo next month. I know you're busy, but it'd be awesome if you could stop by… maybe even show off a few moves? Let me know if you're interested. Later, man."

Tommy grinned and took a sip of water. A martial arts expo would be fun. He hadn't done one in a very long time, and it'd be nice to do some sparring with Adam and Rocky. He might even stop by Ernie's for a strawberry banana smoothie while he's in town.

"MESSAGE SAVED. NEXT MESSAGE." There was a long pause before anyone spoke. "Tommy, i-it's Kim." He nearly choked on his water in surprise. "Listen, I know we haven't spoken in a while… and that's mainly been my fault, but… can we talk?" His heart thudded in his chest from the sound of her voice. It'd been so long since he'd heard her voice. "Trini gave me your new number a while back but I never… after Terrence died, I couldn't… " He flinched when he heard her sigh. "God, this is stupid. I should have never let her talk me into this. Sorry, just… forget I ever called."

The answering machine beeped to signal the end of the message. Tommy stared at the machine blankly, his mind racing a mile a minute. What the hell was she doing calling him? Had he drunk more than he thought?

Did talking about her today with Hayley speak this into existence?

Before he could really process what was going on, he had already picked up the receiver and selected the option to call her back. The phone rang, and with each passing second, he was rethinking his impulsive decision to call her without coming up with a plan first.

Where would he even begin? So much had happened since they last spoke. Her divorce, his divorce…

God, should he even try and explain what really happened to Smitty?

By the sixth ring, he figured she wouldn't answer and sighed in disappointment. He was just about to hang up when the ringing finally stopped.

"Hello?" a voice said groggily.

Tommy inhaled deeply at the sound of her voice, chest tightening from the swirl of conflicting emotions. All of the love, disappointment, and anger of the past few years hit him all at once, leaving him momentarily speechless.

"Listen, if you're gonna say something, do it now. It's too late for – "

"Kim," he said with more confidence than he felt. He heard her soft gasp on the other end.

"T-Tommy?" she whispered.

He chuckled lightly. "Yeah, it's me. I got your message." He licked his lips nervously. "You wanted to talk?"

One-shot, no sequels.

Thanks for reading!