All disclaimers in Part One.

Letters Pt. 3
by Dagmar Buse

Kat sat alone at the friends' table, looking out on the dance floor at Adam and Tanya's wedding. It had been a beautiful ceremony, and she was genuinely delighted for her best friend. Right now, however, her attention was fixed not on the radiant bride and groom, but on another couple swaying gently to the music, totally absorbed in each other. If there had been any doubt that Tommy and Kimberly were together again, the way they danced dispelled that notion even for the most unobservant wedding guest.

The gang had been surprised, but ecstatic for them. Kim and Tommy's happiness seemed to spill over and engulf all of them.

Everybody but me. Kat frowned; she wasn't that petty that she'd begrudge them their good fortune, was she? No. Just feeling sorry for myself, I guess.

With a tiny sigh, the blonde lifted her glass in a silent salute - to what exactly, she didn't know herself - then took a small sip. She continued to watch the dancers, lost in her private thoughts and didn't notice the approach of a dark-clad figure who slid into a chair next to hers. She started as a large hand came to rest on her fingers. Tearing her eyes away from the oblivious Kim and Tommy, she met the compassionate dark eyes of Tommy's best friend.

"Are you okay?" Jason asked warmly, his concern touching.

Kat lowered her head momentarily, but found a small smile when she looked back up.

"Yes. Truly, I am," she confirmed when he raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Are you sure? You seemed kinda sad right now."

Her smile vanished, and a faint blush tinged her porcelain cheeks very becoming pink. Kat sighed once more.

"I ... I guess I am - a little, anyway," she admitted. Before Jason could comment, she went on. "Don't get me wrong; I'm very glad for Tommy. And for Kim, too; they deserve to be happy again after what they went through. But ... seeing them back together, I can't help remembering that I used to be very much in love with Tommy myself at one time."

Jason pondered that for a minute. "And now you want him back?" he queried, his deep voice carefully neutral. To his surprise, Kat's smile reappeared, stronger now.

"Not really. What he and I shared has run its course, and I'm okay with that. Have been for a long time, actually."

"Then why the hangdog face on a pretty cat?" he teased gently.

Kat thought it over; why was she feeling so sentimental all of a sudden, remembering all the dreams she had spun once about her and Tommy's future? The answer came to her gradually.

"Well ... it's just, watching them, the way they can't seem to stop touching, how they sneak kisses when they think we won't notice ... I can't help wish that I had that, too."

Her companion was puzzled. "I don't understand; you just said you didn't want Tommy back."

"And I don't." Searching for the right words, Kat took another sip of her drink, to gain some time. "It's ... it's more like, I wish I had what they have, you know? Someone to hold me, to dance with me like Tommy dances with Kim right now." She paused before whispering, "Someone to be so in love with ..."

"Oh." Comprehension dawned, and the midnight eyes grew wistful for an instant. Jason had been single for quite a while now himself. But the expression was fleeting; soon, a hint of laughter lit them up again. "Then you're not jealous? Not even a teensy-tiny bit?"

Katherine laughed a little. It surprised her that sharing her feelings like this with Jason was so easy - and managed to lighten her mood. He's such a good friend, she thought gratefully.

Handsome, too.

The thought appeared out of nowhere, and startled the Australian. She'd never thought about her one-time teammate in quite this way before. But it felt ... nice, somehow. Shaking herself mentally, she resumed their conversation.

"Jealous ... no. But - can I admit to feeling just a bit ... mm ... envious, maybe?" she asked, wondering silently why Jason's opinion should suddenly matter so much.

He eyed her judiciously, and she had to fight a grin at his exaggerated mien.

"I guess," he drawled, then spoiled the effect by winking at her. "But just because it's you, mind," he added.

Both chuckled, then the broad-shouldered young man adroitly changed the subject to something completely different.

"Say, I keep meaning to ask you - I know you used to be a diver, but did you ever do any scuba diving?"

Taken aback by the non sequitur, Kat stuttered a little.

"I ... y-yes, I ... no, not scuba diving," she finally collected her wits again. "I used to go snorkeling a little, though, back home in Australia."

"Great," Jason said. He scooted his chair closer to hers. "Um, did you ever go out to the Great Barrier Reef?" It was a diver's paradise, just off the Australian coast, and it was his dream to go diving there one day.

Kat laughed knowingly. "No. Too little time, really. But I've been to other places; there's this cove off the Spanish coast near Valencia ..." Soon, the two of them were engrossed in a discussion about the things they'd seen underwater, in various places around the world. They were both well-travelled, after all, and found that they had shared many experiences during the past few years.

On the dance floor, Kimberly nudged Tommy and pointed the two out to him.

"Kat and Jason seem to enjoy each other's company," she smiled.

He sent a glance towards the blonde and dark heads huddled close together, their faces bright and animated as they laughed about something Jason had said.

"Yeah. That's great." But Tommy's mind for once wasn't concerned about his friends at all. Not that he didn't care about Kat and Jason, it just was that he much preferred to concentrate on the petite reality in his arms. He stole a quick kiss, and succeeded in diverting Kim's attention back on him.

"Mmm. Don't stop," she purred.

"I don't plan to," he murmured, and started maneuvering them towards a secluded corner. Kim followed his lead willingy, eyes full of love.

It was the weekend after the Parks' wedding, and Kim was waiting for Tommy to pick her up for dinner. She'd taken special pains with her appearance, wearing a flirty sundress in pink patterns that left her shoulders bare and showed a good deal of leg.

Just the way he likes it, she thought with a private smile as she checked her hair and makeup one last time. Then her doorbell rang, and Kim hurried to the buzzer. She got her reward for the effort she'd made when Tommy whistled appreciatively at the sight of her.

"Wow."

Laughing delightedly, she whirled around once. "You like?" she asked, just a touch coyly.

"Mmm." Tommy caught her to him, and his kiss told Kim exactly how much he admired her looks.

Slightly breathless, not caring that she was looking somewhat mussed-up after his enthusiastic greeting, Kim reached for her tiny purse and slung the long strap cross-wise over one shoulder. Tucking her keys inside, she held out her hand invitingly. "Shall we go then? I'm famished!"

"Sure, Beautiful," he smiled, and Kim's heart sang at his easy use of his old nickname for her.

The two had a buffet-style dinner at a quaint Chinese restaurant, enjoying the variety of dishes on offer. They lingered over a glass of plum wine, talking about everything and nothing. There was a familiarity between them that made things flow so much more smoothly than it had been the first time around as teenagers, while at the same time they were discovering changes in each other brought on by their separation, different experiences ... and by simply growing up. They were adults now, free of the responsibilities of being Rangers, and both relished the maturity and freedom that offered.

However, as the evening progressed, Kimberly noticed that Tommy seemed to grow increasingly distracted. Instead of pouting, like she would have done at sixteen, she bided her time, and when they took a leisurely walk through a moonlit Angel Grove Park, she seized the opportunity to gently ask about Tommy's preoccupation.

"What's the matter, Tommy?" she murmured when they stopped and looked out over the lake. The ducks which normally paddled around this secluded corner were dark small lumps on the shore.

"Huh?"

Kim chuckled, to show him she wasn't angry. "You seem to be miles away. I thought you'd, like, gotten out of your habit of forgetfulness," she teased.

Tommy laughed ruefully. "Yeah, well, I rather had to. In racing, forgetfulness can cost lives. That kind of cured me pretty fast."

"I can imagine," she answered with a delicate shudder. "But, you're not racing anymore ..." Her voice trailed off hopefully.

"No." He smiled down on her. "I was just remembering last week," he said finally. "Tanya and Adam's wedding was really something, wasn't it?"

"Uh huh," Kim remembered fondly. "Tanya looked so gorgeous in her dress ... the whole ceremony was such a beautiful mixture of their heritages ... "

The doe eyes took on a dreamy expression, and that gave Tommy the courage he'd been searching for most of the evening. He draped an arm around Kim's shoulder, thrilled to notice that she snuggled instinctively into his side. Kim looked up at him then, and her lips smiled so invitingly, he just had to taste them once more. Both sighed in blissful unison as they gave themselves up to the moment.

"What was it you liked especially about the wedding, though?" Kimberly asked curiously as they wandered over to a nearby bench. "I thought you hated formal affairs."

"Normally I do," Tommy nodded, trying to appear nonchalant. His preoccupation had a very specific reason, and he didn't want to spoil this moment. Not after all the thought he'd given it. "But ... it sorta gave me an idea," he hinted.

"What kind of an idea?" Kim queried, feeling her heartbeat pick up speed.

Drawing a deep, fortifying breath, Tommy took the plunge. He'd been thinking about this for days, and the longer he did that, the more certain he was that it was the right thing to do.

"That ... that it might not be such a bad idea if we ... if you and I ... oh damn," he broke off helplessly, aware that he was bungling this rather badly. He shrugged deprecatingly and ran his hand under his ponytail - a gesture Kim knew too well meant embarrassment, or agitation.

"I'm going about this all wrong, and I so wanted it to be perfect," he murmured, reaching for Kim's hand and kissing the fingertips. He didn't notice that her hand was ice-cold all of a sudden.

"No, Tommy," she whispered, her body all of a sudden taut with tension. He took it for suspense and encouragement.

"But yes," he contradicted her lovingly. Cupping her face between both palms, he tilted it upwards. The large eyes were wide and luminous in the moonlight, and Tommy brushed a tender kiss against the quivering mouth.

"Watching Tanya and Adam exchange their vows was incredible," he told her. "But at one point I realized that I wasn't really seeing them, but us up at that altar. It should have been us. And I knew that that's what I want, now that I have you back," Tommy continued. "Kim ... I love you. I don't want to lose you ever again. And there's really only just one way to make sure that doesn't happen."

With the grace of a natural athlete, he slid off the bench to kneel at Kim's feet. Drawing her hands towards him to kiss them again, he looked up into the eyes of the woman he wanted to pledge himself to.

"Beautiful, will you marry me?"

Kim was stunned into silence. She'd known of and accepted Tommy's declaration of love, returned it wholeheartedly, but she had not counted on a marriage proposal. Her eyes filled with tears, and she smiled tremulously. Freeing her hands from his loving grasp, she traced the lean features with her fingertips as she strove to find her voice. When finally she could speak, her voice shook with suppressed emotion.

"Oh Tommy," she sighed. "I love you so much."

"Then say you'll be my wife," he urged gently.

Kim started to tremble. Two big teardrops spilled over and slid down her cheeks which had lost all color. When she finally gave Tommy her answer, it was in a barely audible whisper.

"No."

Kimberly to Tommy

"Dearest Tommy,

I'm so sorry I hurt you again. Please believe me, I never meant to do that, but this time I really couldn't help it. When you asked me to marry you last night ... for a second there, I was the happiest woman on Earth. I love you so much, and I'd dreamed of that moment for so long - practically from the first time you kissed me. And you did do it perfectly; so much so that I wanted to cry, it was so beautiful. Only - then I remembered why I sent you that first letter. And that's what made me say no.

Tommy ... I still have that letter you sent me to Florida; that last one which I never really answered. Remember that you nearly proposed then? You told me about your dreams for the future, of how you wanted to have a family with me. Seven years ago, I wanted that, too. I still do, to be honest. But the truth is, no matter how much I may want it, it's not going to happen. Not for me, anyway. Tommy, my love - have you even realized that the operation I had to have to cure the cancer made it impossible for me to ever have children? Yours, or anyone else's? They cut out my womb, Tommy. I just don't have the equipment anymore to get pregnant.

I understand why you want children of your own - of your body, as they say. I think, if I were in your shoes, I'd feel the same. And I'd like nothing more than to give them to you, if I still could. Only, I can't. That's why I turned you down. I couldn't live with the thought that you'd have to give up your dreams just for me, or worse, that you would come to regret it one day to have married me when all our friends have kids and you won't because you chose me. That would kill me for sure - just as it nearly killed me to say no to you last night.

My only hope now is that you can forgive me for hurting you again, and that you'll find somebody else one day who can help you fulfill that dream. And that despite this, I won't lose you. Please, if you can find it in your heart, I'd like to at least remain your friend, even if I can't marry you.

Love, Kim."

Jason folded the single sheet of pink stationery into the envelope and handed it back to his best friend. "Man," he muttered, knowing it was hopelessly inadequate but at a loss for anything else to say.

"Yeah," Tommy sighed dejectedly.

The two young men sat silently in their shared kitchen where Jason had found Tommy slumped over the table at three am, staring at a bottle of beer. It had been opened, but the level showed that Tommy had only taken a couple of swallows at most. "That's not going to help, Bro," Jason said quietly as he sank into a chair opposite his friend, trying to give what help he could by simply being there.

Tommy didn't answer, just shrugged. But he let go of the brown bottle and pushed it about two inches away - enough to reassure Jason that he wouldn't seek solace in alcohol. Not that he'd really feared it, he knew Tommy better than that, but still ...

"Wanna talk about it?" he offered.

"Not really," Tommy mumbled. "But I guess I'd better."

Well, FINALLY! Jason couldn't help thinking. Although he was dead tired, he prepared himself for a lengthy discussion. It looked as if Tommy had learned his lesson this time around and wasn't going to withdraw into a shell of pain and wounded pride, but rather turn to his friends for help.

"Let me make some tea, okay? We'll talk better with something to hold on to." Jason started busying himself setting out mugs, a teapot and their jar of herbal tea; he wasnot about to flood his system with caffeine at this time of night. As he waited for the water to boil, he thought back on the events of earlier in the evening, which were finally making sense now.

**Flashback**

When Tommy continued to stare holes into the table top, Jason quietly replaced the barely-touched beer bottle with a mug of tea, then sat back down. He waited a few more moments for Tommy to start talking, but when that didn't happen, he placed a hand on his best friend's arm. He had a feeling Tommy needed some kind of physical comfort now, and between the two of them that had always been freely given and accepted.

"So what exactly happened between you and Kim?" Jason asked softly. "I gather you proposed to her and she said no?" It was stating the obvious, but the conversation had to be started somehow.

Tommy's breath caught, then he exhaled very slowly. He closed his eyes.

"Yeah," he whispered at last.

"I'm sorry," Jason murmured sincerely. After a beat, he decided to continue questioning his friend; it seemed as if he would be able to give answers at least. "From what she wrote, it's because she can't have children anymore ..."

Tommy looked up at that.

"Really?" he wondered skeptically. "Is that her reason?"

Puzzled, Jason stared into the brown eyes, then quickly unfolded Kim's letter once more. It was but a moment's effort to find the relevant passage. He pointed it out.

"Sure. She said so, right here."

Dully, Tommy gazed at the words blurring on the pink sheet. He shrugged. "Whatever."

Jason felt more confused than before. Wanting to understand Tommy's reaction, he skimmed the few sentences once more.

"She says that she's turned you down because you want kids of your own and she can't give them to you," he paraphrased. "What's so hard to understand about that? She does it because she doesn't want you to have to bury your dreams. Actually, come to think of it, it's a pretty noble thing to do for Kim. It can't be easy for her."

That brought a response from Tommy.

"Easy? Easy??? You think it's easy for me to have my heart broken by her AGAIN, when we'd only just gotten back together? How can she DO this to me?" he burst out.

Jason nearly recoiled, but held on to his temper. Tommy wasn't stupid; why was it that he completely missed the point on this? Because he loves Kim so much, Jason realized. It's blinding him to everything else. Well, then I've just got to make him see.

"No, I don't think that," he said with forced calm. "But Tom ... right now, I think you're only seeing what this is doing to you. What about Kim, though? Do you honestly believe she wants to be doing this? To you, OR to herself? Because if that's what you think, you don't know her nearly half as well as you damn well should."

The stern note in Jason's deep voice was perhaps the only thing that could make Tommy pause and start using his numbed brain again. He did so, with obvious reluctance - because he had to admit that Jason was only too right.

"I ... no," he mumbled, shamefacedly.

"Hmph," Jason grunted, only partially mollified. He continued to think about the mess his friends were in - because it was quite obvious that both, Tommy and Kimberly, were suffering. Out of his musings, he directed another question at Tommy.

"What Kim said, about you not realizing ... were you aware that she can't have kids anymore?"

Tommy waited for long moments before he answered.

"I ... I guess. When Kim told me the truth after Tanya and Adam's wedding about why she broke up with me the first time, she mentioned something, I think ... but at the time, I was just so happy to hear that she still loved me, it must've kinda slipped past me," he said haltingly. "At least consciously, you know? I mean, I knew, yeah, but at the same time somehow I didn't ..."

A terrible suspicion began to form in Jason's mind. He could see Tommy's position, and didn't really blame him for momentarily ignoring the obvious - after all, he'd deserved his time of perfect happiness with Kim, but surely a sense of reality had come back after a while ... hadn't it?

"Tommy ... you did tell her it doesn't matter, didn't you?"

Jason groaned when Tommy only lowered his head and blushed.

"Well, did you?" he asked intently, hoping against a rapidly dwindling hope.

His best friend gave the tiniest of headshakes, but it was enough. Jason took several deep, calming breaths to stop him from reaching over and literally shake some sense into Tommy. How could he be so blind and not see what was right in front of his nose?

"And you still went ahead and asked her to marry you? Without making yourself perfectly clear on that point? Tommy, how could you?!?"

Helplessly, Tommy shrugged. "I love her," he whispered, as if that excused everything.

Jason sighed. God, what a mess. Again.

"I don't think that's enough, Tom," he said slowly. "Not in this situation. I'm sorry, but I think that you've brought this on all by yourself for once - hurting both you and Kim. You really should have thought this through before you did anything so important."

"I- I guess," the other murmured reluctantly.

For a while, the young men sat silently in the dark kitchen, sipping their tea and lost in their own thoughts while the sounds of the night filtered distantly through the windows. At long last, Tommy spoke up.

"I really didn't think about what I'd told Kim about wanting a family; to be honest, that was about the furthest thing from my mind. All I knew was, I had her back, I was happier than I've been in a very long time, and I wanted that feeling to last ... well, forever," he said. He raised a hurt look to Jason's face. "Is that so wrong?"

His heart going out to his best friend, Jason summoned a smile and gripped Tommy's hand in his.

"No, it's not. The two of you deserve to be happy. And I hope you know that the whole gang was very happy for you, too. But Bro ... you can't have it both ways."

"I know," Tommy replied miserably.

Another silence settled between them until Jason asked a question that had him rather puzzled.

"Why is it so important for you to have biological children, anyway? I mean, you're adopted yourself - and I've seen the relationship you have with your folks. You must know that it's way better than for a lot of 'normal' families."

"Yes, but ... Jase, I really can't explain it. Maybe only another adoptee can truly understand my feelings; I dunno. There's a ... a hole somewhere inside of me that I don't think anything else can fill."

"What about David?" Jason reminded him. "He's real family."

"Not the same. Not quite. Maybe if we had grown up together it'd be different, but like it is now ... we don't exactly live in the same world, if you know what I mean." Tommy was referring to his Native American heritage, of course; David was fully integrated in that culture in a way Tommy couldn't be, and frankly didn't want to be. Not because he thought it in any way inferior or worse, it was just something that didn't call to him like it called to his brother.

"Yeah, I think I do," Jason admitted. "Man, this sucks."

"Majorly."

The two shared wry grins that were rather wan. Suddenly feeling very tired - it was the wee hours before dawn, after all - Jason suppressed a yawn as he rose from his chair and placed his mug into the sink. Turning around, he stood and contemplated his best friend, who still sat slumped over at the kitchen table, nursing a half-full cup of tepid tea. He wanted very much to find a way, some magic words to help Tommy and Kimberly, but this was a situation that only Tommy himself could resolve - one way or the other.

"Tommy ... I hate to tell you this, but this is a decision you'll have to make on your own. I wish I could help you more, but I can't. Do you want Kimberly, or do you want kids of your own? It's either/or. You've got to make up your mind what's ultimately more important to you, and then live with that decision."

"Yeah," Tommy sighed. "I just wish it was easier."

"Unfortunately, it isn't." Jason slowly went to the doorway. Just before he left the dark room, he addressed Tommy once more. There was one piece of advice he absolutely had to give him.

"And Bro? Don't wait too long. It wouldn't be fair to yourself, and it definitely wouldn't be fair to Kim. She's made all the tough choices so far, placing your happiness above her own. Not just once, but twice." He waited a beat to let that sink in, then continued inexorably, knowing that it was hard for Tommy to accept, but it had to be said.

"You didn't deserve to have your heart broken, my friend. But neither did Kim deserve to get cancer at seventeen. Now she's kept hanging. She's waiting for your decision. Please don't make her wait too long."

Tommy's shoulders shook in what could have been a silent sob, but he didn't reply. Instead, he just buried his face in his hands, a picture of abject misery. Jason wished he could do more, but knew he'd said enough for one night. Now it was up to Tommy.

"If you need me, you know where to find me," he said softly. "For anything." Then he left to go to bed.

Tommy stayed at the kitchen table, his thoughts whirling as chaotically as his emotions.

I love Kim. I want to marry her. But I also want children of my own. Which she can never give me. Do I love her enough to give up one dream for another?

He didn't know.

Either choice would cause pain. The question was - would he hurt just Kimberly by essentially rejecting her for something that wasn't her fault, or himself by denying himself the chance to pass on a legacy that would otherwise be lost forever?

Tommy sat staring into the darkness, oblivious to the new dawn slowly approaching in the distance.

It was going to be a very long night.

Kat was hosting the gang's monthly dinner, in honor of Tanya and Adam's return from their honeymoon, and everybody had already assembled when Jason and Rocky showed up together straight from the dojo. As bad news can travel faster than the speed of light at times, the circle of friends was already aware of what had happened between Tommy and Kimberly. Not surprisingly, those two had chosen not to show up for once.

Conversation over dinner was kept deliberately general, but as soon as the dishes were cleared away and coffee served, Tanya turned towards Jason with a worried look.

"Okay, Jase - can you tell us exactly what's going on with Kim and Tommy? I was never so surprised as when Kat told me they'd broken up again."

The others all turned towards Jason, who passed a hand through his short hair as he sighed. He hadn't had an easy time dealing with Tommy's rather depressive mood swings, from anger to remorse with stops at every feeling in between, over the past weeks. Not that he was unsympathetic, but there were moments when he just itched to slug his best friend, or Kimberly, or both of them. That, or lock them in a room until they'd sorted themselves out.

"I don't know if you can really call it a break-up," he started. "But things are definitely going wrong for them." Briefly, he related what had happened, to sounds of shocked dismay and sympathy for both parties from everybody. "I'm at my wits' end what to do or say to Tommy. He's so completely shattered ... I've never seen him quite so upset, not even when he was freed from Rita's spell, or lost his Powers for good."

"Can you blame him?" Adam asked. "He just got back together with Kimberly ..."

Jason smiled a bit grimly. "Much as I hate to say it, yes. He really ought to have thought things through instead of just following his heart so impulsively."

There were slow nods all around. "You've certainly got a point," Zack admitted. "Sometimes, it's better NOT to follow one's impulses."

"At least not right away," Trini added. "I wonder what this is doing to Kim."

"I wish I knew. When I called her the next day, after I'd gotten the whole story from Tommy, she wouldn't say much. Maybe it's because I'm so close to Tommy, or maybe she was still too upset or whatever, but she gave me the impression that she wasn't ready to talk about it." Jason took a pensive sip of his coffee, feeling himself gradually relax in the company of his friends. It never ceased to amaze him how having their support and unconditional understanding helped getting over the tough spots. He knew it was the same for the others, too.

"At least Tommy's talking for once, not holding everything inside," he continued. "I was worried he'd crawl into a shell and not come out again for weeks after Kim had dropped off her letter. When he just grabbed the envelope and locked himself in his room for hours ... good thing I heard him rummaging in the kitchen later that night."

"How is he holding up, anyway?" Aisha wanted to know.

"As well as can be expected," Rocky replied. "He's doing his work, he even tries to be sociable ... but he's really hurting, I can tell. Heck, he even asked me for advice once - how I would act in his stead."

That startled everybody; while Rocky and Tommy were good friends in most things, their relationship wasn't such that sharing of confidences came easy to either of them.

"What did you tell him?" Sarah asked curiously. She was getting closer to Rocky the longer they were dating, and thoughts of marriage and children had started to appear more and more frequently of late.

The usually easygoing Hispanic shrugged. "Basically, that I felt for him, but that I'm the wrong person to ask. My family on both sides is so large that nobody has to worry about passing on anything, and even the few relations who don't have kids of their own for whatever reason can get the full experience by 'borrowing' some from almost anybody for a time. Or look after the occasional orphan. It's just not a problem I'm familiar with." And deep down, Rocky was very glad about that; he might grumble about the crowd of people taking an interest in his affairs, but knew he'd miss it if he didn't have it.

"Poor Tommy," Kat sighed, sympathy for her ex-boyfriend evident in her voice. "He really needs to talk to Kim."

"Which he's afraid to do, I think," Jason supplied. "He fears that if he confesses his mixed feelings about the matter to her, he'll lose her for good. Because it'll confirm her worst fears about him. If that makes any sense."

"It does," Tanya nodded slowly. "They're caught in a kind of vicious circle, each afraid to talk candidly about their feelings. All the while being so much in love with each other that being apart again must be killing them."

"Yeah."

The group was silent after that, each lost in their own thoughts about their friends' seemingly unsolveable dilemma. After a while, Tanya spoke up again.

"Jason, are you sure Kim won't talk to you? I mean, if we're to help them, we really ought to hear both sides first-hand. And you were there ..."

"Pretty much. And to be honest, I kinda doubt that I could be completely impartial towards her; after all, I see every day up close how much this is costing Tommy. He is my best friend."

"Then somebody else has to go and talk to her," Zack said blithely. He grinned a bit deprecatingly at the looks he received. "Well, we all are her friends, right?"

"Yes ... but who should be the one to go?" Aisha wondered. The eight young people exchanged speculative glances. Finally, Adam cleared his throat a bit awkwardly.

"Erm ... I'm not trying to chicken out or anything, but do you truly believe Kim would open up to any of us guys? I mean ... just as Tommy's come to Jason and Rocky for advice, wouldn't Kim be more likely to turn to you ladies?"

Aisha, Trini, Tanya, Kat and Sarah looked uneasily at each other. Adam certainly had a point; if they put themselves into Kimberly's shoes, they would prefer to talk to another woman rather than a man, no matter how much they liked or trusted him. But it was obvious that neither relished the prospect of being the one to confront the absent former Pink Ranger. At last, Sarah shook her head regretfully no.

"You're right, Adam, it should be one of us, but ... I don't think I'm the one. I've known Kim maybe the least of all, and while we're friendly enough, we're just not that close."

"Same goes for me," Tanya sighed. "I'd really love to help her, especially after the way she helped my Mom, but ..." her voice trailed off as she shrugged helplessly. "We just haven't had a chance to become real friends yet - you know, in our own right."

Jason had instinctively turned towards Trini.

"What about you? You and Kim have been best friends since grade school."

The slender Asian considered for a moment, then unhappily declined. "I may have known her longest, true, but ... our separation was maybe too long. I feel as if we've lost something ... if we hadn't, I'm sure Kim could have told me the truth when I met her in Europe that time. That she didn't ... I just don't know, Jason. I'm not really comfortable at the thought." Loyalty made her add, "I will if there's no other choice, though."

"Aisha? You and Kim used to be so thick before she went to Florida," Rocky ventured. "You even lived together!"

"Yes, but I feel a lot like Trini, if for slightly different reasons. My staying in Africa so unexpectedly changed our friendship. I'm still convinced I did the right thing at the time, for the animals and myself, but perhaps not for some of the people I cared about. Kim and I are still close, but I wasn't there when she needed me most, and that is bound to have an effect ..."

All eyes then turned to the last person at the table. Kat blushed when she felt her friends' scrutiny, squirming just a little. She did not want to do this!

"Oh no," she protested, lifting her hands in a warding-off gesture. "Not me!"

"There's no-one else left," Rocky said reasonably. "And why not you?"

"Are you crazy? Have you forgotten how I hurt her when Rita made me steal her Power Coin?"

"But you managed to shake off Rita's spell all on your own when Kim injured herself on the balance beam," Adam remembered.

"And you overcame your own inhibitions about diving for Kim's sake when she was ready to give everything up," Aisha added.

Agitated, Kat jumped up and walked to the window. "You can't be serious! I'm probably the very last person Kim would want to see right now! What makes you think she'll talk to me of all people?" she asked just a tad crossly. "After all, she may well think I took Tommy away from her ..."

"But you didn't," Tanya protested. "You and Tommy got together AFTER she'd set him free, and it's not as if you deliberately set out to replace her! I know; I was there, remember?"

"Kim thinks nothing of the sort, Kat," Aisha reassured the blonde. "Besides, she trusted you enough to pass on her Powers to you. That alone should convince you she truly considers you a friend."

"If you're thinking of what happened on Muranthias, that wasn't really Kim," Jason added in a low voice. The memory was still a very sore point for him - as it was for Kimberly. "Trust me, I know. That's one thing she and I did manage to talk about, afterwards. Maligore's evil just picked on our strongest emotional ties towards you guys and made us go after you and Tommy respectively."

Katherine sighed, knowing it to be true. The whole group had discussed the events once they had the leisure to do so, and deep down she knew nobody was bearing any grudges. Still, it was not a pleasant prospect; at the least, she could envision the encounter to be highly embarrassing for both of them. And what if Kim refused to see her?

"Please, Kat," Jason requested softly, getting up as well. He stepped up close to the Australian and reached for her hand. "One of us really should talk to Kim, and the longer I think about it, the more perfect you seem to be. After all, next to me you probably know Tommy the best ..."

She still refused. "It just doesn't feel right."

Trini exhaled softly. This was getting nowhere, and after all, they couldn't bully Kat into meeting with her predecessor. "It's okay, I'll go," she volunteered. "Jason's right, I've known Kim the longest. And maybe it won't matter that I haven't been around to see how close they'd grown, and how it affected them when Kim sent that first letter." It was obvious that Trini was quite skeptical about this - and with good reason, too.

With a half-angry, half-resigned sigh, Kat silently admitted defeat. It was nice of Trini to let her off the hook, but from what Aisha had told her, Kim and Tommy's relationship had progressed quite a lot during his time as the White Ranger - from mere High School sweethearts to young adults who were deeply in love. That was what Kat had witnessed between her friends, and what she had coveted for the longest time. Trini had not, and neither had any of the other girls. Well ... Aisha perhaps, but her arguments about having been absent at that most crucial time were valid, too. But I don't WANT to, she thought rebelliously. She was distracted from her thoughts by Jason's deep voice.

"Please?" he repeated. Kat shook her head stubbornly, unwilling to give an inch.

"If you don't go, we may never be able to help Tommy and Kim," he murmured, sounding somewhat disappointed. She glared at him, feeling herself weaken.

"Stop manipulating me!"

Jason actually looked shocked. "Is that what we're doing? What I'm doing? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

"Neither do we, Kat," Tanya interjected. "If you truly don't feel you can, we'll just have to look for another solution." Only, there wasn't one, and they all knew it. With a gusty breath, Kat admitted defeat. After all, she'd done harder things for the sake of friendship.

If I could just remember one right now!

The dark eyes fixed so beseechingly on her tipped the scales.

"Okay, I'll go," she muttered reluctantly. "But you owe me for this, Jason Scott!"

"I know," Jason replied. To everyone's surprise, he lifted Kat's hand to his lips and gently kissed the back. "How does dinner at 'Le Petit Bistro' sound, with maybe some dancing afterwards?"

The blue gaze softened minutely. "It's a start." But she didn't remove her fingers from Jason's grasp.

Rocky's jaw dropped as he watched the little interplay, and he was on the verge of blurting out a comment when a sharp elbow in the ribs shut him abruptly up. Tanya sent him a warning look and he subsided, but continued to observe Jason and Kat with eagle eyes from then on until it was time to leave. Jason offered Zack and Trini a lift, and the Parks stood in the parking lot with Rocky, Aisha and Sarah until the black-and-red 4X4 had vanished down the night-calm street. Rocky turned incredulous eyes on his friends.

"Did you see what I saw, or is my imagination running amuck?" he demanded to know.

"If you saw Jason turning on the charm three inches thick in order to persuade Kat into doing him a personal favor by agreeing to talk to Kim, you're right," Aisha grinned. "Well, well, well!"

"Jason and Kat?!?"

"And why not?" Tanya demanded to know. "I think they'll be good together. Not that you couldn't have knocked me for a loop," she added. "Kat never said a word to me, the sly thing!"

"I think it's rather sweet," Sarah smiled, getting an enthusiastic nod from Aisha.

Adam just shook his head bemusedly as Rocky quite unconsciously slipped an arm around Sarah's shoulders. The two said their goodbyes then and wandered off. Aisha giggled as she caught a quick kiss Rocky was bestowing on his girlfriend just before turning a corner.

"I think you two started an epidemic," she laughed at Tanya and Adam as she, too, took her leave. "Rocky and Sarah - if there is no engagement in the air, I'll eat my microscope. Now Jason and Kat - and of course Kim and Tommy." She sobered a little. "Let's hope Kat gets somewhere with Kim so we can get those two back together again."

"Amen," Adam breathed devoutly, and on that note, they, too left for home.

~*~

It was two days before Kat could clear her schedule enough to make her way towards Kimberly's apartment. She still felt rather reluctant, but she had promised, and there was no sense in procrastinating. Besides, the sooner she went to see the petite brunette, the better it would be for them all. This situation concerned all of them very much - as if Kim and Tommy's renewed happiness was a guarantee that a 'happily-ever-after' indeed existed, if you only tried hard enough.

She rang the doorbell with some trepidation, identified herself and went upstairs. Kim let her in with a small smile, wordlessly poured them some sparkling water and motioned Katherine to sit. The two young women, both clad nearly identical in light shorts and pink t-shirts, looked at each other over the rim of their glasses, until Kimberly let out a short, not unfriendly laugh.

"So you drew the short straw?"

"Yes, I- no! I mean, I didn't ... they haven't ..." Hopelessly flustered, Kat blushed a deep pink at being found out like this. Kimberly took pity on her friend and smiled.

"It's okay, Kat; no reason to be embarrassed or anything. I was pretty sure that one of you would come by sooner or later, especially after you've all met the other day. I was also reasonably sure it wouldn't be one of the guys; Jase probably has his hands full with Tommy, and the others were rather unlikely." They shared a tiny, understanding grin at that. "I'm just a tad surprised that it's you, and not Trini," Kim added.

The blonde dancer took her time answering as her cheeks gradually resumed their normal color. Unobtrusively, she'd watched for a rection in Kim as she'd mentioned Tommy's name, and found her suspicions confirmed when a slight shadow darkened the expressive eyes. Kim looks ... tired, Kat realized, taking stock of the pallor under Kim's tan and the faint circles around her eyes. Also, her movements lacked her usual grace and vigor; there was a languidness about Kim that was very unlike her customary vivacity. Not physically; after all, she's not training for competitions anymore. No, she's mentally tired. Exhausted, even. And she DEFINITELY looks as if she needs a friend right now. All of a sudden, Kat felt much better about being here. Kim had been the best of friends to her once; now she finally had the chance to return the favor.

"Trini did offer to come, but was a bit uncomfortable with the idea. She feels as if you've grown apart somehow during your separation," she started. Briefly, and as gently as possible, Kat outlined the discussion the friends had had two nights ago.

"Kim ... the main reason I'm here is to see whether you need any help, and tell you that if you do, we're there for you. All of us," she concluded.

The brunette accepted the explanation with a quiet nod. "And of course you're not at all curious about why I turned Tommy down, are you?" she teased, but with an undertone of bitterness - No. Despair, more likely, Kat thought - that was unmistakeable if one knew what to listen for. But all she did was put on an innocent expression and say lightly,

"Of course not. You know us."

"Exactly."

Both young women had to giggle at that, and finally relaxed. Kim refilled their glasses, and curled up on the couch, tucking her legs under her as Kat sat comfortably crosslegged in the armchair.

"So ... what do you want to know?" Kim asked at last, realizing that she couldn't stave off the conversation any longer. Kat chuckled.

"How about everything?" she suggested after a brief hesitation. "Tommy gave Jason your letter to read, so we know the bare facts, but ... if you can, I'd still like to hear from yourself what you were thinking."

Kim grimaced wryly. "You don't ask much, do you?"

"Only for whatever you want to share, Kim. You're our ... you're my friend, and I'd like to help you if I can. You and Tommy. And maybe you need to vent just this once, to someone who knows Tommy only like someone who's loved him like you do ... don't you?" Kat said softly.

At the gentle words, Kim's hard-fought-for composure finally crumbled. Her large eyes filled with tears, and she seemed to wilt right before Kat's eyes as the first sob tore free from her throat.

"Oh God, Kat," she moaned, and the taller girl was up and beside her in an instant, hugging her friend comfortingly as she cried and related her story, her thoughts and feelings. It wasn't much different from what Kim had told Tommy in her letter, but for the first time Kim shared her feelings of inadequacy as a woman, of her sense of loss at the thought of being unable to bear children to the man she loved with a sympathetic friend. Kat listened with a heavy heart, on the one hand pleased and honored that Kim would trust her this much, but on the other very much disappointed that there really was very little she - or any of their friends - could do to help. As Jason had postulated, this was something that Tommy had to decide on his own. All the cards were dealt; it was up to him to play or fold.

"I'm so sorry, Kim," Kat whispered when the other girl had calmed somewhat. "I wish there was something I could do."

"You can't," Kim gulped, wiping her reddened eyes and sniffled. "Nobody can."

Desperate to hold out at least some hope, Kat sought a smile that came out rather wan. "Maybe Tommy will decide for you, after all. Perhaps he just needs time to come to terms with the idea ..."

Kim shook her head rather violently. "But that's exactly it," she exclaimed, gripping Kat's hand in her agitation. "I don't WANT him to come to terms - I want him to be happy, to have all his dreams fulfilled." More subduedly, she continued, "If Tommy has to make such a sacrifice for me, then all I've done was in vain."

"Maybe so. But Kim ... so far, you have made all the choices. Yours, and for Tommy. He's a part of this too, an adult who has the right to be consulted. You'll have to let him decide for himself, even if it's not what you would've wanted his choice to be," Kat admonished her friend, unconsciously echoing and amending Jason's words to Tommy. "It's all very nice of you, wanting to spare him, but life isn't like that. Sometimes one has to give up one thing for another."

"B-but what if he chooses me and then regrets it, later?" Kim asked, torn between despair and a sliver of hope. "What if he leaves me then?"

"Tommy would never do that," Kat declared emphatically. "Kim, I can understand why you're afraid of this, but have a little trust in Tommy! You know him better than that!" She looked sternly at the petite young woman. "Don't you?"

"I-I guess," Kim whispered, a cautious light brightening her tear-dulled eyes. She bit her lower lip in indecision. "So ... what do you think I should do?" she sighed, weary from her emotional storm.

Katherine patted her shoulder encouragingly.

"Something very hard, I'm afraid," she answered. At Kim's questioning look, she explained. "You should do nothing at all. Wait. It's up to Tommy now. He has to make a very important decision, and you'll have to give him all the time he needs."

"That's not going to be easy," Kim pouted.

"I never said it was. But surely it can't be much harder than letting him go in the first place - or turning down his proposal?" The blonde suppressed a sly smile; she knew Kimberly well enough to see how this roused her spirit. Like all the Rangers, male or female, Kim couldn't resist a good challenge.

"Do I have to?" Kim grumbled peevishly, suddenly impatient at the thought of being unable to do something, anything, to speed up the process.

"Yes. Now go blow your nose and wash your face," Kat ordered mock-sternly, mimicking her mother's tone to perfection. Kim looked startled for a second, then had to laugh despite herself.

"Yes, Ma'am!"

~*~

"Well?"

Kat didn't pretend not to understand when Jason all but pounced on her when she arrived at the Red Dragon dojo after hours. It was the day after her heart-to-heart talk with Kimberly, and she'd come to report. NOT because I want to see Jason again. Not at all. No way.

"Kim's doing as well as can be expected," she sighed, entering Jason's office and closing the door behind her. She perched on the desk where he was dealing with the day's paperwork. "From what I could see and you've told me, about as well as Tommy."

Jason groaned and covered his eyes. "That bad, huh?"

"What did you think? That Kim's all relieved and happy about the situation?!?" the blonde asked indignantly. "Newsflash - she's NOT!"

"No, of course not," Jason hastened to reassure her. He tiredly rubbed his temples; the day at the dojo had been beset with one minor disaster after the other, and he was beginning to develop one doozy of a headache. "I just thought ... oh hell, I don't know what I thought. I guess I was just hoping that somehow, something would happen that would make everybody's problems disappear like that for once." He snapped his fingers.

"Sorry," Kat said with genuine compassion, reading his body language quite accurately now and realizing that her friend had had a very trying day. "But as that's hardly likely -"

"Try impossible," he interjected drily.

"Quite. Anyway, we can only do what I told Kim," she murmured, getting up and stepping behind the muscular young man, starting to massage his neck and scalp gently until she could feel him relax. Softly, she related the gist of her conversation with Kim, the observations she'd made and the conclusions she'd drawn. It wasn't the easiest thing in the world, as Kat had to balance giving an account that was both truthful, concise ... and didn't betray any confidences Kim had shared in good faith.

"Mmm. Don't stop," Jason moaned gratefully, listening intently while revelling in the massage. "What else did you tell her?"

"Basically, sit tight and wait for Tommy to make up his mind," she answered quietly, her fingertips soothing stress and burgeoning pain away. "Just like you told him to do."

Jason grimaced and gently disengaged himself from Kat's wonderful ministrations. He was getting ideas that very definitely were premature ... if exceedingly pleasant. To cover his sudden excitement, he poured some cool fruit juice from a thermos jug on a filing cabinet. Handing a glass to Kat, he started prowling around the room and took a long drink. "In other words, we'll still be waiting next century," he groused, knowing how long his best friend sometimes took for decisions of a personal nature - rather in contrast to his leadership abilities, where he'd been perfectly capable of acting quickly and determinedly.

"Oh come on, Tommy's not that bad," Kat protested loyally, but had to grin at Jason's look, which clearly asked 'wanna bet?'. "Well, maybe he is," she conceded with a twinkle and dove into her own glass, to hide her involuntary amusement. She still loved Tommy dearly as a friend, but she was not blind to his faults. As was Jason.

"No maybe about it. But you're right, it's out of our hands now. Let's just hope that we can deal with the fallout, whatever Tommy decides to do."

"Amen," the dancer muttered, and didn't object when Jason drew her against his broad chest in a comforting embrace.

~*~

"I wish I knew what do do," Tommy moaned as he was visiting his parents. He'd had to listen to a lot of well-meaning advice from his friends, most notably Kat and Jason, but he was no nearer to a solution to his conundrum than he'd been after Kimberly had brought by her second letter. Katherine had tried her best to make him understand Kim's reasoning, but instead of helping him see his way it only compounded the issue.

"How can I help Kim deal with her feelings if I can't even sort out my own?" he asked plaintively. "I mean, I love her, but I also want a family ..."

Beth Oliver tugged at his ponytail, not quite playfully, as she passed behind him with a tray full of sandwiches.

"Ow!" Tommy jerked out of his mother's reach. "What was that for?!?" The chocolate eyes looked both hurt and bewildered. This was the kind of gentle punishment Beth used to mete out when he was being more than commonly dense.

"You could always adopt later, you know," she said with a mild rebuke that brought an embarrassed flush to Tommy's face. "After all, I happen to believe that both you and we didn't do too badly in that regard."

Tommy apologized mutely with a sheepish grin and a quick squeeze of the hand nearest to him.

"I know. Sorry. But ..." he shrugged, feeling helpless and unable to explain. "It just doesn't feel the same, somehow."

Jeff Oliver drank deeply of his coffee. When his mug was half-empty, he leaned forward, selected a sandwich and bit into it. Chewing and swallowing his mouthful thoughtfully, he fixed his tall son with a somber gaze.

"I'm afraid we can't help you with this, Tommy," he said finally. "I'm honored and grateful that you love and trust us enough to share your problem with us, but this is a decision that you'll have to make all by yourself."

"That's what Jason says, too," Tommy sighed dejectedly. Deep down, he now realized, he'd harbored a remnant of the childish belief that Mom and Dad could make everything allright. That hope, it seemed, had been in vain.

"Jason has a very good sense of what's right, of when to interfere and when not to," Beth murmured. "I've always liked that in him."

"He's a good friend to you," Jeff nodded.

"The best. I doubt I could've gotten through this again if he hadn't been there for me," Tommy agreed emphatically. "The rest of the gang is great, too, but Jase - he's something else. Always has been."

The Olivers lapsed into silence as they ate; all three of them had formed close ties in Angel Grove since they'd moved there after several years of 'wandering' due to Jeffrey's job requirements at the time. Not the least of those friendships had grown with the families of Tommy's friends. When at last the platter of food was empty and fresh coffee brewed and served, Tommy regarded his parents rather solemnly, an unasked question clearly hovering on the tip of his tongue. However, he wouldn't ask, even though it was obvious he wanted to. Finally, Beth took pity on her son.

"What is it, Tommy? You obviously haven't come here just to avoid having to fix your own dinner," she asked, a hint of teasing in her pleasant contralto voice.

He started and actually looked a bit guilty. "How'd you know?" he fumbled. Beth smiled in a way only mothers can.

"Honey, I've known you since you were a baby just starting to toddle. Give me some credit for maternal instinct, even though I may not have actually born you." She was surprised as Tommy's countenance turned rather grave.

"That's exactly it," he said softly.

"What is?" Beth queried, puzzled.

"About me being not your biological child. I mean, I know you love me and everything, and I couldn't wish for better parents, but these last few days, whenever I thought about Kim and me ... I couldn't help wondering how you felt when you found out you couldn't have kids." Tommy sent an apologetic glance towards his parents. "I'm not trying to pry if you'd rather not talk about it, but I'd really like to know."

The elder Olivers exchanged a long look, both having grown a bit pale. Jeff slowly rose from his comfortable slouch into a hunched-over sitting position and Beth abandoned her armchair to sit beside her husband, reaching for his hands. Tommy was beginning to squirm; it was quite apparent he'd hit a pretty sore spot. Hastily, he tried to backtrack.

"I'm sorry, Mom, I never meant to make you feel uncomfortable," he muttered.

"About what?" Beth's voice was calm, but with an underlying tremor.

Tommy blushed, flustered. "About you being ... well, barren."

Jeffrey's head jerked up and he visibly tensed. Beth touched him reassuringly, and when he gazed at her for a small eternity, she finally nodded minutely. Tommy could sense that something undefinable passed between his parents at that moment, something that concerned him, somehow, and his pulse quickened a little. "Mom? Dad?"

Jeffrey Oliver breathed deeply, shuddered briefly and grasped his wife's hand firmly.

"But that's just it, Tommy," he said bravely at last. "Your mother isn't barren." He swallowed hard. "In fact, there's nothing wrong with her at all. Everything has always functioned as it should. You see ... the reason we had to adopt is because I'm sterile."

That was a revelation Tommy hadn't expected at all, and he felt stunned. Incredulously, he stared at his mother who returned his look openly - and maybe with a touch of defiance, daring him to make any disparaging comment. After overcoming his first shock, Tommy knew much better.

"I had no idea," he whispered finally. "I always just assumed it was Mom who ..."

"A lot of people do when a couple is childless, and not by choice," Beth said matter-of-factly. "Another one of the lovely gender stereotypes society is still riddled with." Both Oliver men grinned fleetingly at her dry tone; Beth was very opinionated about this issue. With good reason, they usually had to admit. "To be honest, it was my first reaction, too, at the time. So, when I didn't get pregnant after trying for a while, I went to my doctor. She did all the tests, but couldn't find any reason why no method worked."

Jeff Oliver took up the tale. "So, I went in for some testing myself. It wasn't easy, let me tell you; the procedure is pretty embarrassing for a guy. And the questions ... you get to tell the most intimate things to a virtual stranger."

Tommy blushed against his will; he'd read and heard about the necessary methods for fertility tests, and to think of his father locked up in a cubicle with girlie magazines and a specimen jar - NO! I'm NOT gonna think about that! He snuck a peek at Jeff, and found him rather red-faced, too, but with a deprecating grin, as if he knew exactly what the younger man was imagining. He winked, and Tommy had to grin, sharing a moment of rare adult understanding with his dad.

"Anyway, turned out I truly was sterile; I'd contracted mumps my second year at college, but I never thought much about it. Actually, at the time it was more embarrassing than anything else - I mean, I was an adult, with a children's disease?!? I'd never have visited my friend whose baby sister had mumps if I'd known then about the possible consequences ... but I didn't, and your mother was having to pay for it."

Even after thirty years, there was still an echo of remorse and bitterness in Mr. Oliver's voice. Beth kissed his cheek comfortingly.

"It wasn't your fault, dear," she murmured with a loving smile, which was gratefully returned by Jeff.

Tommy was loathe to break the tender moment, but he needed to know ...

"What did you do, Dad?" he asked intently, as if the answer held the key to his own problem.

Jeff laughed shortly. "I offered your mother a divorce, if she wanted it," he said quietly. "I wasn't going to stand in her way if she felt that she couldn't live with being childless because of me."

Tommy reeled back as if struck. That's what Kim did! Only, Kimberly hadn't offered him a choice; she'd acted. Not once, but twice.

"Mom?" he asked hoarsely.

Beth had turned pale. Her hazel eyes held distant shadows as she met Tommy's urgent gaze, but her hand was clasped firmly in Jeff's as she answered the unspoken question.

"I- I'm still ashamed to admit that for a few days, I actually considered taking your Dad up on his offer," she said very softly. "I wasn't dealing with the situation very well, you know. All my friends were having babies, and I shouldn't? I knew no-one was to blame, but I felt so ... so cheated, somehow ..." Her voice trailed off as she relived those pain-filled days.

The Olivers were silent for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts, then Tommy couldn't contain his curiosity any longer.

"What made you change your mind?" he queried. "After all, you obviously didn't divorce Dad ..."

Beth smiled mistily at the memory. "I remembered something," she said. "Something I'd almost forgotten."

"What was that?"

"The promise I made to your father on our wedding day. 'In good days and bad; in sickness and health ...' I realized that I'd married your Dad because I loved him - the person he was, not what he could or could not give me. I used to think that that meant only worldly things - you know, money, a big house, social standing. Only now I knew it also meant things I'd just taken for granted."

"Children of your own," Tommy whispered, suddenly feeling closer to his parents than he had for a very long time.

"Yes. I went back to him right away, and we got through the disappointment together. Then, we found you to adopt, and the rest, as they say, is history." Both senior Olivers shared a smile of pure love and understanding - a glimpse into their relationship that Tommy had rarely seen before, but felt privileged to share.

There was much, much more to the story, and Tommy asked eager questions that were answered freely throughout the evening. When it was time for him to leave, he hugged both his mother and father with genuine feeling.

"Thanks for telling me," he murmured. "You've given me a lot to think about."

"As long as it helps you, son," Jeff Oliver replied. Beth just nodded, and the older couple stood arm in arm as they watched him drive away to his own home. It was a picture that stayed with Tommy for the longest time.

~*~

When he let himself into the apartment, he found Jason sprawled in his armchair, reading and listening to some quiet music, an instrumental piece that Tommy couldn't identify but found rather relaxing. His best friend looked up from his book.

"Hi," he greeted Tommy. "How are your folks?"

"Okay," Tommy answered, settling himself on the couch. He didn't exactly want to tell Jason everything his parents had revealed - some things were too private, even for best friends - but felt compelled to share at least some of his thoughts. "We ... we had a talk. A good one," he added.

Instantly interested, Jason sat up. Putting a bookmark into his book, he gave Tommy his full attention.

"About what? You and Kim?"

"N-no. Not exactly," Tommy hesitated. How much could he reveal to Jason? "Mostly about how they came to adopt me." Which was true enough. Only not the whole truth. Would Jason be satisfied with the answer, though?

He wasn't; he knew Tommy well enough to sense that a lot more had happened tonight. However, he was too polite and considerate to pry. This is NOT the time to press for details.

"I see," was all Jason would say. "Did it help?"

Tommy's small grin conceded that Jason had judged the main topic of conversation correctly. "Some," he sighed. "At least I've got tons of stuff to think about. As if I hadn't had enough already," he groused.

"Well, get on with it already," Jason admonished Tommy. The slightly hurt look he got in return made him chuckle. "Well, you are taking your sweet time about making up your mind!"

"You think it's easy?" Tommy complained. "This is different from deciding whether to buy a red or a green shirt, you know!"

"Yes, I do," Jason contritely replied. "Sorry."

"'S okay," came the listless reply. "Man, I wish I knew someone who could give me a definite answer - a solution, y'know? Someone who'd just tell me 'Do this' or 'do that' and it'd be the right way."

"I don't think there is a right way," Jason said thoughtfully. "There'll always be shades of grey ... maybe the best you can hope for is to find the way that'll hurt the least for everybody."

"Yeah. But I still wish there was a person who could really relate to my problem."

"Your family can't?"

"To a degree. But Mom and Dad were already married when they found out. Their situation was different."

It didn't seem all that different to Jason, but he held his peace. He wasn't about to argue that with Tommy again. No, he was getting at something else.

"What about the rest of your family?"

Tommy shook his head no. "Uncle John never wanted kids, and I'm not close enough to Mom's cousins or Dad's brother to ask them about stuff like this. They never really approved of them having adopted me in the first place." He grimaced at some memories of his more distant relatives' attitudes.

"I didn't mean them," Jason sighed at Tommy's obtuseness. "I meant YOUR family."

"Huh?"

"David and Sam, idiot! Your brother and great-uncle!"

To his credit, Tommy looked thunderstruck and vaguely ashamed. "I- oh." He mentally kicked himself. Here he was, bemoaning the possible loss of a hypothetical biological family, when he had blood relatives to consult!

"I am an idiot!"

"Duh, Bro," Jason grinned, then wisely absented himself as fast as possible, leaving Tommy behind to sputter indignantly at this latest show of friendly support.

~*~

Sam Trueheart sat half-concealed in his favorite chair, content to stay unnoticed as he watched his foster-son's brother explain his dilemma haltingly but steadily. He had never met the young woman Tommy cared so deeply about, but even so the wise old man could tell how much the separation affected the young man.

David heard his brother out with few questions, then lapsed into a thoughtful silence as he absorbed everything he'd just learned. Sam had taught him not to make snap judgements, but to consider carefully every piece of advice he might want to give - be it solicited or unsolicited. Finally, he cleared his throat.

"Tommy ... I wish I could help you, but I'm afraid I can't, either. I've always known that every child born to the Tribe is as much my child as it is its parents'; it's the way things are - here. Nobody needs to feel deprived of a family because we all are family. Not always a happy one," he smiled, forestalling a possible comment, "or even a very quiet one. We do have our share of problems; who doesn't? But, I have my place in this family whether I ever add to it or not. As do you, if you should care to accept it," David added quietly. He'd come to terms with the fact that his and Tommy's way of life often diverged, due to their different upbringing, but he needed to remind his brother of that once more.

"Thanks, that means a lot," Tommy said. "But, it's not what I want. I want Kim, and I want kids. I know I'm probably very selfish, but I just can't help myself. I mean, having real relatives is great, and I appreciate it more than I can say. Meeting you and Sam was one of the best things I could've wished for. It's more than I ever thought I'd have, too, but it's not what I always thought of when I imagined my family, you know?"

He shrugged, at a loss to explain himself any better. David gripped his shoulder consolingly, as helpless to offer advice as Tommy felt.

"I guess," David murmured dubiously, wondering if he would ever understand completely the culture outside his tribe, which put so much emphasis on individuals instead of the community. Before he could try to formulate another reply, however, Sam spoke up from the shadows near the door.

"Tommy ... what is family?"

"Er ... what?" He frowned, puzzled by the non sequitur.

The old shaman moved closer, looking intently at the young man.

"What is family?" he repeated. Something about his tone told Tommy this wasn't an idle question, but rather a significant one. He took his time answering, knowing that Sam had the patience to wait until he was ready.

"Family is ... parents, kids. Brothers, sisters, uncles ... the whole relative bit," he fumbled at last.

"True. But is that all?"

Tommy looked baffled. "What more is there?"

If Sam had been the type, he'd have huffed impatiently. Instead, he just gave Tommy a look which made the former Ranger blush and squirm.

"Let me rephrase the question, then. What makes a family?"

Seeing that Tommy still didn't understand, Sam Trueheart patiently elaborated. "You have mentioned parents, siblings - everybody who might be connected to you by blood. Call it genetics, if you will. But is that enough to really make a family out of a group of people thrown together by mere biology?" He gave 'family' the same inflection that Tommy had used towards David a few minutes ago, and was rewarded with a light dawning in Tommy's eyes.

"Nnooo, I don't think so," Tommy replied slowly. He could feel that he was on the trail of a very important discovery. "If it were, there wouldn't be any abusive parents, or kids neglecting their kin."

"Go on," Sam nodded approvingly. David leaned back in his chair, seeing what his foster father was getting at. Sam usually had a way to make a person face the intangible. He hid a smile. He'd had a hard time himself when he'd learned he had a younger brother living elsewhere and why that was necessary, but said brother was being even more thick-headed than David had been. For all his accomplishments, Tommy could be so blind to the truly important things in life! Because he only stared at Sam, obviously confused. The older man sighed a little, but nudged him into the direction he wanted.

"What, then, is the element turning these biological groups into families?"

It was so obvious, Tommy hesitated to name it. But as he couldn't find an alternative, he finally drew a deep breath and just said it.

"Love. A family is made by love." As he uttered the word, he knew it in his bones to be true. Otherwise, his parents wouldn't have chosen him as their son, nor could he feel so comfortable and safe in their company, even as an adult.

"Exactly," Sam approved. "But there is still more."

"There is?" The brown eyes mirrored sudden interest. This promised to explain something Tommy so far had sensed only vaguely, but could never verbalize.

"But of course," the shaman smiled, in that wise and knowing way he had. "A true family bond is always three-fold. You have already identified two - the Bond of Blood, and the Bond of the Heart. Can you name the last one?"

Tommy racked his brain, but to no avail. "No," he had to confess.

"How strange, when you have experienced it for years, and in an intensity and depth I have rarely found elsewhere," Sam said enigmatically.

"I ... I have?!?"

"Sure," David said softly. "Even I recognized it, when we found each other." There was no envy in his voice, rather a quiet rejoicing for his brother's good fortune.

Tommy was totally confused. What was it David and Sam had seen in his life, which people had they met who could qualify as 'family'? He had a feeling the answer was just out of his reach, that he really should know it, but for the life of him he couldn't find it.

"I don't get it," he admitted at last. "What bond, and with whom?"

Sam Trueheart sighed. How blind the young could be!

"It is maybe the most important bond of all, because it transcends all boundaries - of blood, of race, of culture or of gender. Once you have formed that bond with someone, you will never be alone. In some cases, it can even make up for the lack of the other two." His voice became very solemn. "It is the Bond of Spirit - the one thing that truly links one Human being to another."

Sam's words echoed in Tommy's mind as he thought about them, letting them sink into his very heart and soul. He had a Bond of Spirit? With whom? But almost immediately, images began to form before his mental eye.

Kat. We share experiences like no-one else - having been evil once. Rocky, Adam and Aisha. Questing for the Power not once, but twice at my side. Trini and Zack. Having to leave the team. Billy. Forming a friendship that will last a lifetime, through separation and despite having NOTHING in common - or so we used to think. Tanya. Being the last to join a team that has been through so much already. Jason. My brother as much as David, if not more so - both by his choice and mine.

And lastly, the most precious of all.

Kimberly. The girl I loved from the first time I laid eyes on her. Who stood by me even though she had no reason to - when I'd disappointed her, hurt her, her friends ... who had her Powers stolen by Rita and Zedd, regained them and lastly gave them up to a friend. Kim, who has shared so many of my dreams...and willingly gave up her own to preserve mine.

At long last, Tommy understood. Made the leap from intellectual acceptance to bone-deep knowledge what it was that had prompted Kim to act as she had. How great a sacrifice she'd made for his sake. That he owed it to her to match that generosity of Spirit - either by accepting her wholeheartedly, without any reservation, or set her free without conditions. Finally, the former Ranger took the burden of Choice onto himself. Neither his friends, nor his family could do more than advise and offer support - which they'd done in abundance.

Now, it was up to him - as it had always been.

My choice. MINE.

And perversely, that realization set him free as nothing else had.

"I see," he whispered, awed and stunned by the epiphany he'd just experienced. "I really see."

Satisfied that it was so, Sam nodded.

~*~

"What was it you wanted to talk to me about?" Kim asked with some trepidation as she met Tommy in Angel Grove Park the next weekend. "You sounded so serious over the phone."

She feared very much that she knew all too well what Tommy wanted to tell her. His chocolate-brown eyes looked so somber; surely it meant that he was going to break up with her permanently. He'd reject her, if very gently, because she could no longer be what he wanted or needed in a wife. Well, it was nothing less than what she'd expected, but oh, it hurt so much! Despite everything, there had been one last shred of hope tucked away in the deepest corner of her heart that had refused to die, that had kept praying for a happy ending ... the petite young woman was so upset and lost in regrets for what might have been, she never noticed where Tommy was leading her as they walked slowly around the lake - into a much less populated corner of the park.

Tommy had chosen their destination deliberately, having walked with Kim here once before - on a day that had changed his life, both in a negative and in a positive way. On that day over eight years ago, trying to screw up his courage to ask his friend on a first date, he couldn't have been more nervous than he was now when he was working up to discussing something equally important for their future. It seemed strangely appropriate that Kim would ask him the same question she had so long ago, using virtually the same words. However, it didn't look as if she was aware of the fact.

Doesn't matter. Hopefully, today will go differently, anyway.

After all, Goldar and the Putties were no more, destroyed forever by Zordon's sacrifice. Chasing away the sorrow that particular memory always evoked, Tommy concentrated on the woman beside him, her more sophisticated look of today overlaying the pigtails and baby-doll dress of yore.

"Yeah," Tommy said only, barely refraining from wringing his hands as he'd done at sixteen. "It is serious."

Next to him, Kimberly tensed and closed her eyes as she continued to put one foot in front of the other mechanically, waiting for the blow. She vowed to herself she was not going to cry. Not now, where Tommy could see. That would come later.

"Yes?" she managed to whisper. To her surprise, Tommy drew her to sit on a nearby boulder, taking her hands in his as he waited for her to look at him. When she couldn't, he smiled a bit ruefully, then launched into his explanation.

"Kim ... first of all, I have to apologize for having waited so long to make a decision," he said softly.

"It's okay," she murmured. "You had every right."

"Not if it hurt you," he contradicted gently. Before Kim could protest, he laid a fingertip across her lips, shushing her. "Sshh. I know the waiting must've practically killed you. But that's not all."

Mutely, Kim stole a glance at him. He gave her a small smile.

"Kim ... it took a while, and a lot of advice from our friends, my family - never mind the lectures I've had from Jase and Kat - for me to truly understand what you did by breaking up with me, and why you did it. I mean, I understood here -" he touched his temple, "but I needed to get it here, too." His hand came to rest briefly over his heart. "Now I do."

Kimberly had a rather wobbly smile for him. That was far more than she'd hoped for. "Then ... you're not angry at me?"

"Angry?" Tommy exclaimed. "No!"

A bit of the tension left Kim's posture. "D-does that mean we c-can at least stay friends?" she whispered timidly.

Tommy nodded earnestly. "We'll always be friends," he promised. "No matter what."

"Th-thank you." So the sky hadn't darkened completely. That was something, at least. But Tommy wasn't finished yet.

"Kim ... these past couple of weeks, I've been thinking a lot about the past. About how we met, how we got together ... how it was without you. And how it felt to have found you again." He quirked a tiny grin. "You've probably guessed that I talked with a lot of folks," he admitted, blushing slightly. He'd wondered at himself because it went pretty much against his more usual loner ways. But for once, the need to open up couldn't be denied.

"Kat told me you went to Jason, and even Rocky," she nodded. "I don't mind, if it helped you."

I just wish I'd have been as brave when I needed help ... But that was water under the bridge.

"Yeah. I also had rather intense talks with my Mom and Dad, David and Sam ... actually, as good as it was to have Jase around, speaking to my family helped more. I learned things from them ... things that made sense out of a lot of things going on in my mind."

"That's good," Kim commented when Tommy paused reflectively, wondering where this was leading. She found out as he continued.

"All of this has really been about family," Tommy mused, as much to himself as to Kim. "The one I have and don't have, the one I dreamed of ... and of course about you and me, about what kind of family we could possibly have, given your condition and all. No, don't look like that," he admonished when she blanched. "I didn't mean it the way it sounded. You're not to blame for any of this. I know I'm doing this badly, but Kim ... will you please hear me out? I need to explain, or at least try."

"S-sure," she hiccuped, torn between wanting to flee from the inevitable and wanting to stay with him every moment he let her. Tommy looked his thanks, then visibly gathered his thoughts.

"As I said, I did a lot of talking lately. And by doing that, I learned a lot of things - about myself, about what I really want - and mostly about what family really means. Rocky, and Jase most of all, showed me that there's no shame in asking for help from people who care about you. I learned from my parents that a relationship can survive almost anything as long as there's love. And Sam and David ... they made me see that family isn't just what you're given at birth, but also who and what you choose it to be. Kim, my parents chose me for their son when they adopted me. You and the rest of the guys ... you became my family through friendship and support, and because we had a common purpose."

"Yes, but that still leaves you without children if ..." Kimberly couldn't go on; she just couldn't bring herself to refer to 'marriage' even in the most roundabout way, for fear of breaking down. It was her dearest wish to be Tommy's wife, but even as she was genuinely glad that he had gained so many valuable insights, it still didn't solve their problem - her inability to give him the biological family he so deserved. Tommy's fine words and noble sentiments ... all they managed to do was cut her heart to shreds, no matter how gently they were spoken. The longer he took, the more she was afraid that he was leading up to a breakoff, would tell her a final 'good-bye'; she was in a dreadful state of suspense, waiting for the axe to fall. If he HAS to dump me - and how can he do anything else? No matter how nice he's trying to be about it - can't he at least get it over with? She lowered her head, to conceal the suspicious dampness in her eyes.

Tommy reached out and tilted Kim's face up until she had no choice but to look at him. His eyes did hold a trace of regret, but they were warm, loving even ... and that confused the petite brunette.

"Kim - don't you know where we are? Don't you remember what happened here?"

"Huh?" Dazedly, Kimberly looked around. The lake was to the right of the path they'd come along, on the other side the area sloped down ... she had a sudden flash of memory, of being nearly flung against the piece of rock they were sitting on by a Putty, and her morpher skittering just out of her reach. She'd been unable to help when Tommy, hair shorter and dressed in green, was being teleported away by more of Rita's minions.

"This ... this is where Goldar kidnapped you to steal your Powers," she realized slowly. "When Rita used the Green Candle."

"Uh huh. And all because I was trying to ask you on a date. Remember?" Tommy reminded her with another small smile.

"You did afterwards," Kim sighed forlornly. The memory of that moment was still one of the sweetest she had. "After we couldn't help you, and you lost the Green Ranger Powers."

Tommy once more grasped her hands in his. His voice was intent, and made Kim look at him in surprise and wonder.

"You did help me," he contradicted her. "You, and Jase, and the others ... you did everything you could. It wasn't your fault that it turned out not to be enough for once. The candle did burn down, and I had to give my Coin to Jason. That was the hardest thing I'd ever had to do until then - well, except maybe for facing you after Jase broke Rita's spell over me. You did save my life, though. And I'll always be grateful for that, at least."

"Still ... you lost such an important part of your life that day, when you had to give up your Powers," Kim mourned. "I didn't understand then how terrible it must've been for you; I only did later, when Kat had taken my Coin, and when I had to leave the team to go to Florida."

"That's one experience we now share," Tommy said solemnly. "But Kim ... it's taken me this long to see clearly how important you were in helping me cope. Not just that first time, but every time I lost something." He drew a deep breath. Now he was coming to the most important thing he'd learned through recent events. Hopefully, she'd understand.

"Kimberly, I've asked to meet you here, in this place, for a reason. Here is where my Powers were taken from me the first time. It was incredibly hard, yes, and it hurt a lot, too. But I got something in return - something that was just as important." He paused.

Kim hardly dared breathe. The things Tommy was talking about - they were among the fondest memories they both shared. Surely he wouldn't be so cruel as to remind her of those sweet days when their romance was just beginning if he was planning to send her packing? But how could he be doing anything else?!?

"W-what's that?" she asked, so softly Tommy nearly didn't hear.

"I gained you," he murmured, slipping an arm around her shoulder and hugging her close. He could feel her trembling, and buried his face briefly in the soft caramel locks. "Kim, when you told me you missed me ... the way you looked at me ... even though I was no longer a Ranger ... that gave me the courage to ask you out."

"You kissed me first," Kim whispered wistfully, caught up in the memory, wishing he would do so again. Just one more time ... please, God?

"Yeah," Tommy replied, remembering, wishing he dared do so again. But there were more things that had to be said first. Please, God - make her understand that this is what I want!

"Kim ... if it hadn't been for you, for your love and support, I doubt I could've stood the loss of my Powers. I hurt so much, but you were always there, helping me, cheering me up - insisting on sharing my pain. Every time it happened. Twice with the Green Powers, then when Rito destroyed the Thunderzords ... you were there, holding me up, sharing my pain and loss. And by doing so, by simply being there for me, unconditionally, you made it bearable. Without you at my side, without your love, I really don't know if I could have gone on. And I don't think I can ever make up to you for it." Tommy sighed, letting another kind of pain flood him, then deliberately dammed it up as he looked deeply into the doe eyes gazing up at him so compassionately. Time to choose once and for all.

"I want children. No, don't look away," he urged once more when Kim paled and would have averted her eyes. "I know you can't give them to me because of the cancer. And that hurts - more than I ever thought possible. But Kim - it would've hurt lots more if I'd lost you forever - to death, or to another guy. I know now that I can stand any pain as long as you're there with me to share it."

Was it possible? Could Tommy really mean what he was saying? Kim longed to believe with all her heart, but if he did ... what had she done by leaving him? Didn't that mean that all the pain they both had gone through because of her decision was in vain?

"But what about your dreams, Tommy?" she choked. "All I ever wanted was to make your dreams come true. And now that I can't ... that's why I left you! I love you too much to see you give them up!"

"I know that now," he said warmly. "But I also know this - I've come full circle, Kim. Yes, I'll be giving up something that's been very important to me. You're right about that much. But I realized that my dreams mean nothing to me if you're not a part of them. I can't have both, so I'll have to choose what's more important." His voice dropped very low. "That's you, Beautiful. I love you. I never stopped. I never will. You're the only woman I ever thought of having a family with. And if you're willing, we can build one together. Maybe not the one we imagined, but a family still. You and me, and what relatives we have - and our friends."

It was the hardest choice Tommy ever had to make. And now he had, it hadn't been hard at all.

"But- but what about Kat?" Kimberly asked, not yet daring to believe what she was hearing. Her heart beat a mile a minute, and she felt dizzy with excitement and confusion. "You dated her longer than you did me ..."

Tommy coughed, slightly embarrassed. "In all the time with Kat, I never once imagined having kids with her. The one fantasy I had of being married to her involved grandkids who looked like me, not like her."

"Oh ..." She really shouldn't feel so ridiculously pleased by that admission, but she couldn't help it.

"So, what do you say? Do you think you could help me deal with my choice?" Tommy asked. "Because this is it, you know."

Kimberly was trembling like a leaf by now. Her heart shouted 'yes, yes!', while her mind still tried to cope with such a complete reversal of her worst fears, and urged caution.

"What if you'll regret it one day? Choosing me over children?" she wanted to know, not yet trusting her good fortune. He didn't dismiss her concern, but answered honestly.

"I expect there'll be plenty of regrets in the future. Just thinking about everybody eventually having kids and knowing that it's not going to happen for us, ever, hurts like Hell." Kim's tears, held in check so firmly so long began to flow then, tracing silver tracks down her pale cheeks. Tommy wiped them away with unsteady fingers, his voice rough with emotion. "I could never regret loving you, though. That's why I choose you," he murmured, praying with all his might that she would believe him.

"Oh Tommy," Kim wept, "I never meant for you to have to make that choice!"

"I know. Instead you did it for me - for us. But I had to, anyway." He held her close, soothing her wordlessly. Then, he gently disengaged himself from Kim's clinging arms and cupped her wet face between his palms.

"Pain shared is pain halved, Kim. You taught me that a long time ago; I only forgot. It's going to be difficult for you, too, because I know how much you love kids. But I'd like to help you cope with it - if you're willing to help me in turn. Do you think you can do that? For the rest of our lives? Together?"

A shy smile blossomed through the tears.

"I-if you're sure," she whispered, succumbing to her own most secret desire.

"As sure as I can be," Tommy replied, and sealed his commitment with a kiss as sweet and tender as the first they'd ever shared. When their lips finally parted, he looked into the moist, shining eyes of the woman he loved more than anything in the world. Mutely, because he was unable to speak for fear of saying something wrong at this pivotal moment, Tommy reached into his pocket and drew out a red velvet jeweller's box. Kim gasped in delight as he opened it and she saw the narrow band with three diamonds set close together. The significance wasn't lost on her - one lustrous stone for each time they found each other. Tommy's eyes asked silent permission, and she was unable to resist. At her tiny nod he slipped the ring over Kim's finger. It was a perfect fit.

"I've wanted to do that for a long time," he said, repeating his words from long ago. Kim laughed softly, remembering also.

"Me, too," she sniffled, happiness welling up inside of her and nearly taking her breath away. Where had all the fear and desperation gone? They had disappeared, to be replaced by a feeling of serenity she hadn't known in ages. The diamonds winked at her, shooting glittering sparks in the sunlight as she moved her hand to admire the exquisite ring. She felt as if similar fireworks were setting off within her, illuminating the hereto dark corners of her soul with their rainbow brightness.

"Now that that's over with, the next thing should be a piece of cake," Tommy said then, his expression happier than Kim had seen in a long time - not even when they had reconciled a few scant weeks ago. Because now the chocolate depths held a peace she'd rarely noticed before.

"Oh? What's that?" she dimpled up at her tall companion. The first time they'd had this conversation, Tommy had asked her to the dance ... his smile was as loving as it had been then, but the look accompanying it was far more serious. She began to shake again, her pulse throbbing.

"Kimberly ... will you be my wife?"

There was no way she could tease him as she'd done then. Not when her heart was singing and threatened to burst with happiness. Instead, Kim reached up and touched the lean cheek with her small hand in a gesture that somehow was more of a promise than the most passionate kiss. Her voice was the barest whisper as she accepted Tommy's choice and his right to make it, feeling both sorrow for what they had lost and a deep, pervading peace for what they were gaining in the fulfillment of their love.

"Yes."

Tommy and Kimberly to their friends

"That's the last one," Kim said relievedly and wrote the address with a flourish. She handed the white envelope to Tommy, her handwriting looking neat in red ink even though her fingers had started to cramp about fifteen minutes ago. He accepted the green-marbled rectangle, peeled off the last stamp, grimacing when the gumming left his fingertips sticky, and smacked it in place with a satisfying thud.

"Great! Then let's mail them right away - I can do with a walk after sitting still for so long."

What a great idea! Eagerly, the young woman nodded and jumped up.

"Yes, let's!"

With a happy smile, Kim put the stack of wedding invitations into a minuscule backpack that rode low over her shapely rear. Following her out onto the street, Tommy rather enjoyed the view. Hand in hand, the engaged couple marched off towards Angel Grove Park; there was a mail box near the picnic area. The weather was nice - sunny, but not too warm, a perfect late October day to take a stroll through the familiar area.

By ones, twos and fours, the envelopes clunked into the blue container, and Tommy grinned at Kimberly when they were done.

"Well, that's that. No turning back now," he teased.

"Would you want to?"

He shook his head. "Nah. If it had been completely up to me, you know we would've done this much sooner." There was no sting in his voice, and Kimberly twinkled up at him merrily - while sticking out her tongue in a very unladylike manner. Tommy had to laugh.

"Come on, let's go," he invited, meaning to take Kim's hand again, but was stopped short when a small person suddenly careened into his legs from behind.

"What the ....!" He exclaimed, turning. A little girl, barely two years old, sat on her diapered bottom right at his feet, staring up at him with big black eyes under a crop of curly hair caught up with bright purple bows. Her chocolate-brown skin was smeared liberally with what looked like strawberry icecream, and a chubby fist still clutched a now-empty cone. A pink blob had barely missed Tommy's pants, and was now slowly melting on the warm asphalt. Clearly, the tot was undecided whether to grin or to cry. Before either Tommy or Kimberly could react, though, the baby's mother ran up.

"Are you okay, honey?" she asked her daughter, who nodded. Her tears never materialized, now that she felt safe. Then the young woman gazed up at Tommy. "I'm sorry Leesha bumped into you," she apologized. "But she ran off before I could stop her while my husband was putting the stroller into the car ..."

"It's allright," Tommy reassured the woman who was maybe a couple of years or so younger than Kim. "Nobody got hurt. Not even my pants." He smiled at the baby, who hid her face in her mother's hair ... but couldn't resist a peek at the tall man. Tommy winked, and was rewarded with a gap-toothed shy grin. Getting another smile and thankyou from Leesha's mother, he watched them cross the parking lot to a somewhat battered old compact car, where a man hugged both his wife and daughter before hustling them inside.

Tommy heaved a silent sigh, then looked down at Kimberly, who stood motionless beside him, her eyes switching back and forth between the young family and her fiancÙ. She had paled slightly, even if her face was calm and composed.

"Cute kid," Tommy said finally, his voice carefully neutral.

"Yeah," Kimberly agreed, just as quietly.

Then, their eyes met - full of sorrow, regret, love and acceptance. This was what they would be missing out on, and they couldn't help but feel the loss every time a small event like this reminded them of it. But, in the year or so since they had become engaged, Kim had learned not to apologize any more ... while Tommy had learned not to hide his lingering grief every time he saw a young family. Their deep feelings for each other helped them cope with their shared pain, and brought them ever closer. Together, as they had promised each other.

At last, Tommy found a smile that chased away the slight melancholy in the depths of his eyes. He held out his hand, which the petite brunette grasped without hesitation.

"Let's take that walk, shall we?"

"Uh huh." Kim smiled back, basking in the easy affection she'd missed so much throughout their separation. Her expression became positively radiant when Tommy pulled her towards him and dropped a brief kiss on her lips.

Hand in hand, they wandered off towards the duck pond, where their relationship had begun not once, but twice.

~*~

"This'll be the perfect place to put up a tree next year, Kim," Aisha declared, pointing to a corner of the living room in the house they were putting in order. It was three days before the wedding, and the group of friends was helping Kimberly and Tommy move their belongings.

"Yes," the bride-to-be agreed. "My Mom's been collecting ornaments for me for years, and I can't wait to use them." She opened another box and took out her assortment of framed photographs, starting to arrange them on a sideboard. The shadow flitting over her face as she added a recent addition, of her brother with his wife and new baby, was unmistakeable. But it vanished almost instantly when Trini, who noticed, gave her a warm hug. "It's okay," she sighed and reached for the next frame.

"It shouldn't be," Kat murmured to Tanya. "Not when there are people out there having more kids than they know what to do with, and Kim and Tommy can't have any at all."

"Yeah." The two shared a frustrated glance, then continued to sort books into a wooden cabinet. Outside, a passel of children raced past, their enthusiastic shouts telling of fun and freedom. All her friends saw Kim wince slightly, then paste a determinedly bright smile on her face as she returned to her task. It didn't hold for long.

"Kim, do you think it was wise to move into a street with lots of young families?" Sarah asked as tactfully as possible. She and Rocky had gotten married that summer, and were saving up to buy a house just like the one Kim and Tommy were moving into. The young woman couldn't help thinking that they were causing each other unnecessary pain by their decision.

The friends were silent for a minute, during which they could hear the grunting and good-natured taunts from the second floor where the men were wrestling the heavier pieces of furniture into place. A loud thump, an 'OOF!' from what was unmistakeably Zack, and the heartless laughter of the others that followed brought a small grin to Kimberly's too-serious face.

"Not wise, maybe, but necessary," she said at last.

"Necessary? How?" Tanya wanted to know.

"Well ... Tommy and I aren't really cut out to live in an adults-only condo, or some other Yuppie place. We don't want to have to apologize to the neighbors every time you guys will bring however many kids you produce eventually." She winked at Tanya and Sarah, and Kat who, thinking herself unobserved, was once again admiring the ring Jason had given her for Christmas, only a few days ago. The blonde caught the look, blushed and laughed - Kim hadn't behaved much differently a little over a year ago whenshe'd been newly engaged. With a teasing, understanding glance, Kim continued. "Besides, we've made up our minds that we're going to be the best honorary aunt and uncle you all could wish for," she stated bravely.

"You will be, I'm sure of it," Aisha staunchly declared.

"Who knows, maybe one day you'll find a baby to adopt, too, just as Tommy's folks found him," Kat suggested.

"Yeah. Maybe," the petite brunette murmured.

"Haven't you ever considered going to a fertility clinic? It's not only men who donate sperm; Tommy could still sire children, with another woman's help ..." Trini's voice trailed off as Kim shook her head, sadly but decidedly.

"No. We talked about it once, but Tommy said that he doesn't want kids with anyone but me." There was resignation, but also a lot of gratitude and pride in Kimberly's expression. "When he said that ... I thought I couldn't love him more than I already did. I was wrong." Kim brushed a stray tear from her eyes at the tender memory.

Trini embraced her childhood friend once more. They all felt for their friends.

"I know I've said it before, but I really wish there was something I could do," she whispered. "You two are so great with kids ... it's a shame." "Unfortunately there isn't," Tanya interjected, hugging Kimberly as well. "After all, it's not as if someone else could have children for you."

Suddenly there was a loud clang. Aisha had let a brass candlestick she was polishing drop to the floor, where it rolled clattering around. The doctor of veterinary medicine looked as if she'd been thunderstruck.

"Aisha? What's the matter?" Sarah asked, bending to pick up the candlestick. "You look as if you've been hit by a truck."

"Or Zack's charm," Kat murmured under her breath with a dry glance upstairs, referring to the fact that recently the first Black Ranger had developed an intense interest in the second Yellow Ranger.

She succeeded in provoking a fit of giggles from everybody. Even Aisha smiled through her blush. Darn it, I thought nobody had noticed ...! But her eyes shone excitedly as she turned to Tanya and Kim.

"You said it, girlfriend," she declared, pointing emphatically at Tanya.

"I said what?" Tanya frowned. Aisha didn't seem to hear her, all her attention focussed on Kim.

"I can't believe I didn't see it before," she castigated herself. "There's the solution to your problem right in front of us, it's been around for ages, I'm dealing with it several times a year at the clinic, and I never made the connection!" She smacked her forehead theatrically. "How could I miss something so obvious?!?"

"What connection?" Kat wondered. The other young women exchanged puzzled glances; neither had any idea what Aisha was getting at.

"What you just said - about another woman having children for Kim and Tommy."

Trini felt as if a whole chandelier had suddenly lit up her brain. "Of course!" she exclaimed, busily extrapolating mentally on Aisha's brainstorm. "Kim - when you had your operation, they didn't remove your ovaries, did they?"

"Er, no," Kim stuttered, thoroughly mystified. "The doctor said that by leaving them in, I wouldn't have to cope with premature menopause symptoms, osteoporosis and stuff. Why?"

"Don't you see? If your ovaries are still working, you're not sterile, and if Tommy isn't either, you could try for in vitro fertilization - have a lab do the actual insemination, then implant the embryo into a host mother!"

Aisha nodded, fairly dancing with excitement.

"Exactly! They would still be your children - yours, and Tommy's - the only thing you wouldn't do is carrying the baby to term and giving birth!"

Kimberly started to tremble with a veritable jumble of emotions. Fear, hope, excitement ... she was running the full gamut in a matter of seconds. She blindly reached for Trini's hand, needing desperately to hold on to somebody or she'd collapse.

Oh my God ... is it possible? Can Tommy have at least one child? Can I be a mother after all, when I believed for years it was never going to happen? It was almost too much to take in.

Her eyes were huge in her face, and fierce blushes chased ghastly pallor as she tried to compose herself. That was what Tommy saw when he peeped through the door on the way from the kitchen where he'd gone to collect drinks for the guys. His errand forgotten, he unceremoniously dumped the six-pack of cold sodas onto the nearest surface and rushed up to his fiancÙe.

"Kim! Beautiful, what's wrong?" he asked urgently as she clung to him and sobbed once into his chest. "What happened?" he demanded to know, fixing the other women with a near-frantic glance.

"Tommy ... oh, Tommy!" Her slender frame shook as she struggled for coherency. To suddenly find a ray of hope where before there was none ... it was almost too much to bear. "Aisha ... she said ... no, Trini did ... I ... oh my God," she stammered, holding on to him for dear life.

Puzzled, Tommy glanced at Aisha and Trini, who looked both somewhat guilty over having upset their friend, and yet subtly excited for having found a possible solution to their friends' dilemma. "What did you say to Kim to make her cry?" he asked, somewhat mollified now that he could see no-one had intentionally hurt his love. His arms tightened protectively around Kimberly.

The two former Yellow Rangers exchanged a look, then Aisha, as the medical 'expert', drew a deep breath. "Tommy ... we didn't mean to stir up things, honestly we didn't ... but we heard some kids outside and got to talking ..."

"What Aisha means to say," Trini interrupted with a gentle smile, "is that maybe - just maybe - there is a way for the two of you to have your own family after all."

Tommy blanched as well, and it took all his training not to sway with the force of the emotions hitting him at gut level. His throat went dry as dust all at once, and he had to swallow several times before he managed to speak. Even so, his normally pleasant tenor voice was rough.

"...what ...?" he rasped.

Briefly, Aisha outlined her train of thought, corroborated by Trini while the others listened intently. Even the men, who had filed in one by one when Tommy didn't return and lured by the sudden silence from downstairs, heard them out in respectful silence while they tried to recall their biology lessons. None of them was all that scientifically minded, after all - that had always been Billy's domain. They looked at each other.

"Man ... I never thought of that," Rocky murmured in an aside to Jason, whose dark eyes shone with affection and hope for his friends. "A host mother! Wow."

Inwardly, Jason had to second the sentiment. "Me neither, but still ...!"

"Yeah," Adam agreed, his trademark smile quirking his mouth, while Zack just nodded. His admiration of Aisha rose another notch.

Not only pretty, but brains, too!

"I'm not saying that it's going to work," Trini cautioned at the end of their recitation. "In fact, I'm not at all sure if it's even possible, but ..."

"But it's more than we had before," Kim whispered hoarsely, looking beseechingly up at Tommy.

"Oh Tommy, if there's just a tiny chance I could give you your own baby, I'll take it, no matter WHAT I have to go through!"

Dazedly, Tommy shook his head. This was almost too much to take in. But deep inside, something he'd believed he'd buried forever cautiously rose from the ashes.

"Yeah," he muttered, feeling rather stunned and not daring to hope. Not yet. Instead, while his friends waited for his reaction, he tried to focus on a practical aspect.

"But ... but where would we find someone to do this for us? I mean, how can we be sure this woman won't run off with our baby, if we succeed in doing this at all?"

Kim deflated a little bit as her eyes clouded over.

"It would take an awful lot of trust," she whispered, fresh tears welling up. Where would they search for such a person? Would they ever find one?

Behind her, Trini sucked in her breath. Could she do this? Even for someone as dear to her as Kimberly? You said you wanted to help Kim and Tommy any way you can. This IS a way. Are you going to chicken out now? Her inner voice commented. The lithe Asian squared her shoulders. Trini Kwan had never gone back on her word - nor was she a coward. She stepped forward and touched Kim's shoulder.

"Would you trust methat much?" she asked softly, her almond eyes luminous.

The couple gasped in mingled shock and joy.

"Yes, of course, Trini, but we couldn't possibly ask you to ..." Tommy tried to decline, but his heart clearly wasn't in it. Trini just raised a finely-drawn eyebrow, daring him to deny his deepest wish, and smiled when he was unable to bring himself to do so. Kim wordlessly reached for her hand, squeezing it for all she was worth.

"Oh Trini," she choked. "You're such a good friend ...!"

The young woman blinked back her own tears. "Our friendship is solid as a rock, remember?"

Kim nodded, her lips wobbling around a small grin as she recalled the spell Zedd had put her under once, making her a first-class brat.

Kat exchanged a long look with Jason, asking silently 'do you mind?'. He started to smile slowly and nodded his assent, awed at his fiancÙe's generosity of spirit. He knew it wasn't just for Kimberly's sake that she offered this, but also because it was one last thing she could do for Tommy. Once more, he realized exactly why he'd fallen in love with the blonde Australian.

"Or could you trust me?" Kat joined Trini, looking between her former love and her friend. "I'd be willing, too, provided I'm suitable."

"Yes," Aisha declared firmly, only to find Tanya right at her side. Adam beamed with pride at his wife's dedication to their friends, and Rocky didn't need to search out Sarah's gentle eyes as she disengaged herself from his arms to join the circle of women. She was a part of this special group now, too.

"It seems you have enough volunteers," Sarah smiled mistily. "If you want me, count me in!"

"Do I want you!" Kim finally let go of Tommy and tried to hug all her friends at once. "Oh you guys ... if you could only know how much this means to me!"

"I think we can make quite a good guess," Jason said, offering his own brotherly hug to Tommy, who seemed rather stunned by this unexpected turn of events. His deep voice sounded decidedly husky as he went on. "Let's just hope that Aisha and Trini's idea works!"

"Amen!" Zack exclaimed, then jumped up from his perch on the back of an armchair. "I'd say this calls for a good-luck toast - whaddaya think, guys?"

"Definitely," Rocky grinned, feeling more elated than he had in a long time for his friends' sake. "And I seem to remember a magnum bottle of champagne in the 'fridge that just begs to be opened!"

"You fetch the bubbly, I'll get the glasses," Adam said, thinking that there were only so many places the women could have stowed the stemware. Sooner or later, he'd find them. Somewhere.

In a matter of minutes, the twelve gathered in a circle, a still weepy but hopeful Kim and a rather bemused Tommy in the center. Glasses were raised and clinked against each other, giving out a musical tinkle that sounded merry and optimistic.

"To Kim and Tommy," Jason said solemnly.

"To the family they hope to have." Kat's accented voice was warm and understanding.

"And Aisha and Trini," Zack was quick to add, giving credit where credit was due as he sent an openly admiring glance towards Aisha. She blushed, pleased. "May their idea be feasible!" He got several approving 'hear, hears' for his toast.

"Shouldn't that rather be to the passel of little Olivers-to-be?" Rocky suggested impishly, but was immediately shushed by several of the others. This wasn't a joking matter, especially not for Kim and Tommy. "Okay, okay, sorry - I don't wanna jinx it!"

Kimberly raised her glass to her lips, but didn't take a sip right away. Instead, she looked earnestly at everybody.

"To the best friends we can ever hope to find," she murmured. "Even if this doesn't work out ... just to know what you're willing to do for us ..."

"Uh huh," Tommy agreed. "To friendship. And ..." he hesitated only for a second, but there was no other word to describe what permeated the room right now and united them all. "And love."

~*~

It was a warm, typical California spring day as the group of friends assembled in the waiting room of Doctor Hennessy, Assistant Director of the Stone County Fertility Clinic. The big, hearty Irishman strode into his office, a pile of manila folders under his arm and greeted them all with a friendly smile. In his long practice, this was the first time that he'd seen such support among his patients.

"Well, the test results are in," he boomed, singling out the six women with his frank gaze. "I have some good news, and some bad news." Seamus Hennessy leaned back in his leather chair, picking up the top folder. "First, the good. Mr and Mrs Oliver ... you're in luck. You, sir, are fully fertile, and as for you -" he winked at Kim, who could hardly breathe with suspense, "I think we can manage to scare up a few healthy ova. Now, assuming that in-vitro fertilization is successful - and I have to warn you, sometimes it will NOT work, for no reason we can determine - and if we find a suitable host, we can indeed implant an embryo into her."

A sound that was halfway between a cry and a sob escaped Kimberly's throat, and she turned blindly towards Tommy, who caught her up in a crushing embrace. The two clung to each other, overcome with emotion, as the rest of the group swarmed around them, exchanging hugs and congratulations. Seamus let them take their time; it was moments like these which made his work worthwhile. The only times better were when a healthy baby was delivered to parents who'd given up hope before. But even overwhelming joy had to subside at one point, and as soon as everybody had calmed down again, the physician reached for the next folder. He smiled at a radiant if teary-eyed Kimberly before opening it, though.

"Mind, we will only find out if a baby can be carried to term when we actually do it; this is no guarantee there won't be miscarriages or other unforeseeable accidents."

She nodded. "I know. But ... this is a chance we'd given up on. Just to know it's possible ... at least we will have tried."

"Yes," Tommy agreed. "I mean, we won't ever know if Kim would've been able to have a baby naturally at all if it hadn't been for the cancer," he said seriously. "We looked up all the problems and talked about how we'd feel if ... well, if something went wrong anyway. But as Kimberly said - we'll have tried. If it's still not meant to be, we can deal with it. Together." He shared a long, loving glance with his wife of three months and took her small hand in his. Then, Tommy turned back towards Dr. Hennessy.

"But ... you said you had bad news, too?" God, I hope he didn't find anything else wrong with Kim, or me, or any of the girls!

"Ah, yes," the big man said and opened the second folder. The friends waited with bated breath as his eyes swept the room, coming finally to rest on Sarah. "Mrs. DeSantos," he sighed a little.

Sarah and Rocky paled slightly, and Rocky draped a protective arm around her shoulders. "Y-yes?"

"Mrs. DeSantos ... I'm sorry, but I won't admit you as a candidate to be host mother for your friend."

"Why not?" Sarah whispered, her dark eyes wide and slightly frightened. "I-is something wrong with me?"

"Not wrong exactly. But the blood tests ... I'd strongly suggest you see a specialist about this, it's not my area of expertise, but it looks as if you have a light case of diabetes. Nothing to be overly concerned about; in my opinion proper medication will take care of it. You probably have already experienced some symptoms for a while, but they may have been so light, you dismissed them as normal fatigue and whatnot. However, a pregnancy ..." he shook his head dubiously. "I'd advise against it. At least when your own DNA isn't involved. I'm sorry, but the risk to both you and the fetus would be more than I'm comfortable with."

"Does that mean we can't have children, either?" Rocky asked through stiff lips. It was one thing to talk about it in the abstract, but now ...

But Dr Hennessy shook his head reassuringly. "No, that's not what I meant. You just have to monitor an eventual pregnancy much closer than usual, and my advice would be to limit yourself to one or two children at most. But to have another couple's embryo implanted - that's out of the question. I won't put endangering your health on my conscience. I'm sorry," he repeated.

But Sarah had calmed down again already. Her gentle, practical nature accepted the limitations imposed on her by this revelation with admirable calm and aplomb. Rocky and she could still have a family - small perhaps, but a family nonetheless. And she wasn't suffering from any dangerous or fatal illness, gracias a Dios. Diabetes she could live with.

"I understand. And I'll make an appointment with my doctor right away," she promised. Then she looked at the couple sitting next to them.

"I'm sorry, Kimberly ..."

The pink-clad young woman gave her a hug. "No need to apologize, Sarah. I truly appreciate that you agreed to be tested at all, and I'd never want to harm you in any way."

Hennessy cleared his throat. He liked this group of people, but his time WAS limited; they could have their love-fest after he'd delivered the rest of his news. The sound had the effect of calling the friends to order almost immediately, and he grinned to himself. All he displayed outwardly was a fatherly smile, however, as he reached for the next chart.

"Mrs. Park."

Adam stiffened in alarm. There was bad news for his Tanya?!? Sensing his disquiet, Tanya slid her fingers into his hand, offering comfort to Adam even as she desperately wanted, no, needed to be reassured she was okay. Not quite holding her breath, she didn't say a word, but just tilted her head questioningly at the doctor, who understood.

"I'm afraid you're ineligible, too," he announced, and Adam flinched, his imagination providing all kinds of horror scenarios right away.

"What's wrong with Tanya?" he managed to ask, his voice little more than a squeak. Rocky let go of Sarah and moved towards his oldest friend in support, and Aisha patted his knee while trying to give Tanya a reassuring smile.

The big medic barely hid a broad grin. This was a part of his job he definitely liked!

"Nothing that won't clear up on its own within the next seven to eight months," he said, letting his grin spread as he watched the apprehensive faces before him. He'd eat his stethoscope if this bunch wouldn't be as excited for their friends' fate as if he'd just magically restored Kim Oliver's womb.

"Mrs. Park - you can't act as surrogate mother for your friend because you already are pregnant. It's early stages yet, but ..." whatever he wanted to say was drowned in the happy pandemonium that broke out in his office, with the women cooing over Tanya and the men congratulating Adam as the two kissed blissfully, for once unconcerned about having an audience.

Looks like my 'scope is safe.

"Oh Tanya, I'm soooo happy for you," Kimberly gushed, genuinely glad for her friends. Not even in her darkest hour, when she'd thought parenthood would be forever out of her reach, had she begrudged any of the others such a possibility. Neither had Tommy, who was exchanging back slaps with Adam as heartily as the rest.

"Thanks, Kim," Tanya beamed, her eyes shining. "I'm just so-"

"Don't you dare say you're sorry, 'cause I know you're not!" Kimberly interrupted her firmly. "I love you for wanting to help Tommy and me, but just as it's not Sarah's fault she can't, it's not yours, either. All you should do now is look forward to having your baby," she smiled, wiping away a single tear. She wasn't lying when she said she was elated for Adam and Tanya, but oh, how she wished she could share that experience! To feel a child grow within her, to watch her body change ... to give birth.

As things stood, she would never know what that was like, but if she was lucky and all went well, she'd get at least second-hand knowledge should Kat, Trini or Aisha succeed in carrying a baby for Tommy and herself.

Not what I dreamed of at seventeen. But I'm not complaining ... just please, God - let it work? Once? Just one baby for Tommy ... Kim prayed as she'd never done before.

"What about us, then?" Kat asked curiously when everybody had settled down again. She indicated herself, Aisha and Trini. "Would one of us be suitable as host mother?"

Dr. Hennessy weighed his words carefully, looking over the test results once more. He didn't like to raise false hopes, no matter how much he believed the couples seeking his help deserved to have a baby. And the Olivers certainly qualified in his book.

"I see no reason why you shouldn't be," he said slowly, but raised a hand to stall any premature jubilation. "But please - are ALL of you aware of the procedures and dangers involved? Extracting the ova from you, Mrs. Oliver, implanting the embryo ... all comparatively pretty minor operations as these things go. However, any kind of surgery carries its own risk. Then there's a chance of rejection, just like with a transplant - for obvious reasons, we can't medicate as we would with an organ like the liver, say. In a worst-case scenario, we might successfully fertilize a number of ova from you, and none will ever mature into a healthy baby, despite everything we can do. We can't rule out birth defects or genetic damage, either - just as with any normal pregnancy. What if any child you'll have will be handicapped in some way? Have you thought about THAT?" The physician's whole demeanour was deadly serious, and he stared intently at Kimberly and Tommy, who returned his look with steady eyes. It was Tommy who answered.

"Yes, we have. And we'd love her or him just as we would if our baby was born to us." The petite woman clinging to his hand nodded.

"Totally."

"Just let us try," Trini pleaded.

"We're sure," Kat declared.

"We want to do this," Aisha added.

The doctor assessed the three young women and the couple before him for a long, long moment - a period that was a small eternity for Kim and Tommy. They were so close to having their dream fulfilled; surely this man wouldn't deny them at the last possible instant? Finally, he smiled and closed his files.

"Very well then. We will make the attempt. Who of you is volunteering?" he asked, letting his eyes wander from Kat to Trini to Aisha and back. The three looked at each other, then at their friends' hopeful expressions. At last, Aisha drew a deep breath and grinned.

"Why not all three of us?"

"Yes - surely at least one will be able to carry the baby to term," Trini consented.

"Plus, I'm certain you two wouldn't mind if you just happened to end up with more than one baby, would you?" Kat teased, her blue eyes suspiciously moist as she saw the relief and happiness spread through Tommy and Kimberly.

The first Pink Ranger was laughing through her tears as she hugged one after the other.

"No ... oh no ... thank you ..."

Tommy kissed each young woman warmly, knowing that Kim wouldn't mind.

"Yes. Thanks, ladies. You're the absolute best."

"Then let's get started," Seamus Hennessy declared.

~*~

Ten months later ...

Kimberly and Thomas Oliver are proud and grateful
To announce the births of
Ann-Kathryn Oliver (January 10)
Jason Jeffrey and David Samuel Oliver (January 13)
And
Billie Alicia Oliver (January 20).

End

Author's Note: My thanks to everybody who bore with me through this, helped and encouraged during the writing process and kept me going with their kind words. All scientific gaffes are mine. Until next time ... DB, January 2002.

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