Thanks to: Cynthia, Diamond Lover and above all, my light, Symbolic Agony.

"It was a wonderful day, bright! But wasn't hot, there was a cool breeze and the sun turned the lake into a mirror reflecting silver sparks. They played games, swam, laughed. But she was there, looking to the horizon, as she was waiting for an answer implicit in the sky, for a question deep in her eyes." Tanya finished the reading of an old and worn out book.

Justin, Rocky and Adam were listening. Rocky would travel that day, to join a fight championship and promote his dojo. His friends and his boyfriend went to his house to say goodbye. Tommy was training for a race and Katherine called telling him she was felling bad, apologizing and wishing him well. Suddenly, Tanya asked them to listen to that fragment.

"What's her problem?" Tanya sat in the couch, closing the book.

The three guys looked at one another, as they were ready to explode laughing. Beyond finding a reply, their minds were also busy trying to make up a sensible reason for that attitude. What was Tanya's problem was the real question for them. After a while, Rocky faced her serious to say:

"She needs a new stove to keep her mind away from all this cluelessness."

Shouting laughs filled the room. Even Tanya couldn't resist. She opened her mouth, as she'd say, "I can't believe!" and started beating Rocky with her book, making its situation even worse. All of them had a pillow fight till the moment that finally Adam asked:

"What the hell do you mean?"

"Okay." She breathed deep, "I read this book few years ago, and these lines were all I could think about last night, after the stroll to the lake. Where is written she, we could read Kat."

"Why didn't you go direct to the point?" Justin asked.

"Well, she would be disabled as a woman." Rocky laughed and so they all did. Tanya gave him a few more hits with the book, now in a deplorable state.

"Simple. She's strong, but she's tired. Tommy and Kat have been together for a while, but now he acts as if it never happened. Not even a decent end they had. It just was lost somewhere in the past, and nobody told her." Adam gave her the expected answer.

Perceiving that things were quickly turning serious and concerned about Justin, still very young, Rocky asked them to help him to take his luggage to his car. While he was locking the trunk, the little boy resurfaced the subject:

"Friends, do you think there's a way to bring them back together?" he asked with an innocent gleam in his eyes.

"Who knows? Maybe they only need a hand!" Tanya smiled.

"Does someone have any idea?" Adam showed complicity.

"Yeah I have. Glue! Spread all over them, then put them together. Come on, they had their chance and it didn't work. You're looking for trouble." Rocky cut off their digression about their mates' love life. "Anyway, I'm late. I hate goodbyes, let's make it quick, ok? Ah! Justin, please get a little box on my bed for me, please."

He went in a flash to get the box. When he got into the house, Rocky could do what he really planned with that excuse. Sweetly kissed his boyfriend. Then he gave Tanya a hug and said:

"Forget about Tommy and Katherine." "Hey, it's a good idea. We have nothing to lose." She said in the nick of time that Justin was back.

"Bye, little man. Take care of those four, while I'm out this week. Ah! And if Adam makes a new friend, tell me when I'm back, right?"

Justin didn't get the point, but the others did, smiling. He said goodbye to his friend, and gave him the box. Rocky told him that was a gift for the three of them. When the car left, they laughed a lot as they saw it was glue.

The following day rose beautiful. The dew was bringing a smooth cool sensation. Kat was sat in her house's balcony, her safe place to think. Alone there she could forget she was the perfect girl, always with a solution by hand, accompanied with a soothing smile. She looked to each flower. They were the same as when things were a little different, not so long ago. That time when she as a shy diver, moving to Angel Groove. So unsure, she passed through bad moments due to Rita and Zedd. To top it off, she became the new pink ranger, a great and scaring responsibility.

From that moment on, one thing was vital to make possible all those changes that occurred in her life. Tommy. She had a special felling and owed all her friends lots of things. But he was different. He was the reason to make it happen. Her willing was there whenever he smiled. It was in her love for him.

"May I sit beside you?" Tanya quietly arrived and said, with her best grin.

"Sure." Kat replied, trying to return the same face expression.

"I hope you're felling better. I'd bring some chocolates, but you probably can't eat, no?"

"It's just a cold, I'm ok. But it was a nice excuse!" She laughed softly.

"You silly! Tell me... Is this virus, the one that caused your cold, called Tommy?" She asked, taking her hand.

You don't waist any time!" Kat said, sighing.

"You know, Rocky don't think so. Anyway, am I right?"

They heard a noise. Tommy just arrived carrying a thermos bottle. Katherine's eyes were tangling up happiness and disappointment, but she showed only the first felling in her smile, the same that was in his. He sat by her side, pulled her closer, and she laid her head on his shoulder, while he enfolded her with his arm. He gently kissed her cheek and said:

"How are you doing? I would visit my brother, but I decided to come here first, to see if you're ok. Justin told me you were sick when he went to help me with the car, yesterday. Look, I brought some hot chocolate for you. Ah! And I want to have a serious talk with this virus. Who let it harm my baby?"

Tanya got some mugs, they drank it and then chatted about some trivialities. The yellow Ranger was impressed with that warm and cherishing behavior of Tommy. Actually, she was more impressed with the fact that always has been like that, and maybe she didn't noticed! Their untimely ended relationship seemed even stranger now. There was a tenuous limit through a friendship and something else. His acts gave her a spark of hope, but he never turned it into fire again. That's the reason why she mixed happiness and disappointment when she saw him. Here's the answer implicit in the sky.

"Tanya, I'm going to David's house. I didn't see your car around. Want you a ride?" Tommy asked helpfully.

"I could use it. Thanks! Bye, Kat. Later I call you, to talk about the 'virus'."

"What for? It could be explained in only one line. It's raining, but I can't get wet." She said, causing intriguing thoughts inside the "virus" mind.

Perhaps Rocky was right when he joked about the women ability to use metaphors and codes. Tanya got the point. Now definitively she disagreed of his laughing friend opinion about Tommy and Kat. It was the time for Tanya, Adam and Justin try to bring them back together, with no glue.

"I just can't get wet..." Katherine was thinking about the meaning for her phrase. It was like love was in the air every time. She could smell it in Tommy's perfume, and in the flowers around her, her accomplices. He could feel it in his warm and strong hands, in the way he used to touch her, the way he longed to touch her, sheltering her in her arms, where no harm could transgress. But when their lips were close enough, eager to meet each other, when the expected words were about to come out, he was only her good friend again. As that gleam she knew she saw had simply disappeared, lost in the days when they were together in love. Kat even didn't know when those days were gone. The sky was cloudy, the water was falling, but she couldn't get wet of his love.

Later on, at Tanya's place, Adam and Justin joined her to match Tommy and Katherine. The young Ranger was very exited with this different mission. Tommy, Rocky and Kat had a special care with him, and he was almost sure that they'd never let him get part into something like that. But the others Rangers knew he was an important ally. Who would suspect of a kid with that innocent expression? Al that excitement was present on his smile when he started to speak:

"Well, first of all is important make a complete report of the whole situation, so we can make a flawless plan! What do we have, musketeers?"

"Let's start from the beginning. I was the only here there, so I'll tell you this part. Basically, it was real love, and it was sharing everything. But when Kim left to Florida, it didn't seemed very clear what kind of relationship it was. He though things were the same. And perhaps all that time, loving her through the distance, made it even stronger inside him." Adam said.

"Until the day she told him, on a letter, that she had another guy, and for her, their relation was friendship. So he dated Kat a while. Now he acts like her friend, as it never happen! But, the way he treat her is totally dubious. I can't get him!" Tanya said in a thoughtful tone.

It's so clear! Friends, Tommy's just afraid of get hurt again. But he also can't deny he likes her a lot, and maybe love her! That's why he acts so hesitant. You know, sometimes, when we're fixing the car, and we're chatting, he talks about her, and I can tell, there's something there in his voice!" Justin made his point, and let his friends astonished.

Wow! That was pretty good, boy! So... What will we do?" Adam asked.

"Hey! Once I heard a survey that said there is a great percentage of people who thinks that the striking feature in a lover is his or her capacity to make them laugh!" Tanya told them.

"That's so precise!" Justin grinned.

"Anyone else has an idea?" Adam questioned, smiling.

Wait! There's something here! Adam, and you're the last one who can reject my theory, ok. We both know you frame it perfectly." She tried to convince him.

"Yeah... Perhaps there's some base!" Adam laughed, remembering of Rocky. "But what are we supposed to do?"

"We need to put them in a relaxing, casual, fun situation, to make things flow naturally. We have too much tension in our lives, with our new jobs, with Divatox and her bombs. They need some laughing. So Tommy can break down his walls." Tanya explained better her ideas.

"Guys! There's a new circus in town, and I think I'll ask four of my friends to take me... They won't resist my charms!" Justin made a lacking face, then they all laughed. The first attempt was planned.

There were many people around the circus when the show was finished. Even so the atmosphere was calm and pleasant. It was like that space was moved from Angel Groove to one of those typical country towns. This spirit was within the rangers even in the way they were dressed. The guys with jeans and plaid shirts, the girls with flower dress and boots.

Tommy and Katherine were walking side-by-side, just as a couple. Kat was more charming and sweet using one braid. He was wearing a cowboy hat he borrowed from Adam. In fact, it was Rocky's hat. Adam was thinking that it fitted his boyfriend better, and it really did. His spelling smile was a perfect pair for it. Tommy looked funny using it, especially now that he was with a voluminous hair, since he started to race. But the idea was to make them laugh, wasn't? And they sure were having fun while they were walking to Tanya's Mustang, talking, and eating popcorn.

"Hey, Tommy! Why don't you go to that shooting game, and try to get a hat for you? You look 'gorgeous' with Rocky's!" Tanya initiated the musketeers' plan, "As you boys do this, Kat and I can put the plush frog Adam won for me and her teddy bear, courtesy of Justin, in my car."

"Right." The others said in unison, as in the Power Ranger's missions.

"Oh, no!" Tanya exclaimed to Kat, already beside the car, "I lost my keys!"

Suddenly Adam and Justin appeared behind them, "Girls, Justin is not felling well and I'll take him home in my father's pick up, okay?"

"Thank God you're here. I just lost my keys! Can you give me a ride? I have copies in my house" she said quickly.

"Sure! Kat, dad's car has only room for three. So, can you go to Tommy, explain what happened and wait for me? Ah, take your time! You know Tanya and Justin live in the opposite sides of the town, and there's some traffic jam, since downtown was damaged by Divatox's last giant monster." Adam recited.

"Tanya, your house is very near here. You could get the keys with Adam and take us" Kat replied.

"You know, I ate the same as Justin! But the night is so fun, why don't you enjoy with Tommy? Actually, if you want to stay even more, just call Adam. Is it okay, frog? Tanya looked at him, who nodded.

"Wow! It seems you have everything planned... But if you lost the keys, how will you enter home? Teleport? Maybe we all could use it." Kat suggested.

They three were wordless. Wisely, Tanya extemporized, "What!? Don't you remember the rules? The powers are only to fight the evil, with few exceptions, as when we saved my parents, not to solve little mistakes. I'm sorry we'll leave you, but, aren't you having fun? What's the matter? Stay awhile with Tommy, you're so good friends. The night is beautiful. Maybe you should take a walk with him, under this moon, and talk and laugh..." she grinned.

"You're right. There's a long time I haven't seen a sky so beautiful. I'd like to be with all of you, but he'll be a good company. Whatever, you didn't answered how you'll enter home, did you?" Katherine left them with nothing to say again.

"Oh, can't you hurry up? My tummy aches! Please!" Justin used his best touching voice and face.

Finally her friends went away. Katherine was walking to meet Tommy, thinking how surreal that situation seemed. She couldn't deny, at least to herself, that she appreciated it. Perhaps was the little extra stimulus they needed. Wind brought chill and she missed her new teddy bear. Unexpectedly Tommy put a jacket on her shoulders. He didn't even have one when she left! The shooting game was a pretty good idea. Strangely he didn't say anything, put his arms around her, and they were wandering around the moon, tentatively close.

Kat remembered her own opinion about take a walk, "Take a walk is always a start for romance, or just a serious talk." Tanya knew that though. Things were so obvious. "Tommy must asked them to help him, as Rocky asked us to help him about Adam." That time his surprise, when he was thinking everything was lost, was essential to make it work. But Rocky was much more outspoken than Tommy, so she might give him a hand. Katherine stared the guy she was in love for a long time. The gleam was there. She turned to him to ask:

"What's this all about?"

"Excuse me?" He answered staring her back.

"The whole thing. The circus, the keys, the fake food poisoning, the rehearsed act staring our friends... You and me alone, underneath this bunch of dazing stars, no words needed. Were they your idea too?" She giggled softly touching his chin with her fingertips, testing how real that dream could be.

"Did I miss something?" Tommy was confused.

"We can jump this part. What do you have planned for the happy end, dear?"

She said that words so low, so near. He could felt her warm breath carrying away the cold. He was tense. Maybe he didn't know what she was talking about, or what he was supposed to do. But his heart was so near to hers, both jumping in an arrhythmic beat. He kissed her, in a senseless union of tenderness and lust. But what should seem everlasting was abruptly ended, and he said:

"What are we doing? This isn't right Kat..."

"What!?" she asked while her head was spinning.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't meant to... We must be mixing feelings!"

You... You play this damned hit and run game and am I mixing feelings? No. You're the only one doing it! I know exactly what I want. But I guess I don't want it anymore!" she walked away, suppressed the tears, but kept her dignity.

Katherine got home quietly, and went straight to the kitchen. Turned on the lights and opened the closet, looking for something. She was earnest, but she wasn't crying. There was serenity in her face. She found the chamomile tea, her favorite one, and filled a kettle with some water to boil. Kat fixed the table, got some cookies and put them on a plate. As the tea was read she took a sip and she knew she would be alright, somehow. Everyone falls in love sometime Sometimes it's wrong, and sometimes it's right For every win, someone must fail But there comes a point when When we exhale

"Why did France helped the United States in our independency?" Kat asked.

"Hello! We're studying math! Can you come back to Earth?" Justin exclaimed.

"Oh, forgive me..." Katherine smiled, "Can we quit earlier today? I promise I'll compensate tomorrow."

"No! It's quite okay!" He laughed, " Say, do you have a date or something now?" Justin questioned, wondering if the plan was successful.

She stopped and undone her usual smile, "No, I'm with a headache."

"Ah... A headache..." He tried to discover something else.

Kat stared her youngest friend. That short boy, generally carrying a sweet smile, sharing some of his euphoria through his words and starting his lines with a rising "friends". But he was also someone who lost his mother and was parted from his father. Even so, was joining her as a Ranger, and was right in front of her, with the most soothing expression, waiting for her answer. She looked at Justin, and realized that, even being a kid, he was somebody to trust in. All her friends were. It was time to disclose her feelings.

"No. It's a little bit more complicated." The tears, locked up tight for so long, timidly begun to fall. "Listen, Justin. I'm sorry I've treating you as a fool kid. I thought that you'd be unable to understand some things. But guess what! I found out that I can't too. And I don't know what to do. "

Justin came closer, rubbed her shoulder, "Kat, we always know what to do. Sometimes we just don't know what we want. Or we fear it."

"I've done a lot. I've been around Tommy every second, showing how much I care about him. And he always seemed to care the same as me. But it's like he has another brother. A twin one, who always takes his place exactly when he'll say the words I've been expected, and instead, acts cold."

"I should let him knows it. You know what to do." He said.

"But I don't know if I want to. I don't know if I can take it anymore."

Justin noticed that he wouldn't convince her. It was time to try something else, "Hey, don't cry please. Perhaps we should wander around and breathe some fresh air. Adam and Tanya are at the park, let's meet them, spend some time together and post point these tears. What do you think?"

"I don't know what you want, but you know what to do. Let's go!" She smiled and dried her face with her hands and stood up.

When they left the library, Justin told her to go to her car. As he was out of sight, he ran real fast, showing why he was a "Turbo" Ranger. Almost knock down Mr. Robinson, the biology teacher, and only stopped when found his friend Todd. He had a cell phone and that was what he needed.

"Hello. Adam, pick up Tanya and go to the park immediately. Things went completely wrong and we'll have to make the B-plan work! Bye." He hanged up before his mate could answer anything, and went speeding to the car.

They walked a while searching their friends. "Casually" they found Adam and Tanya having ice creams in a area with some tables and sunshades. Katherine was visibly better, but some melancholy still resided in her eyes. She was pledging to accomplish what she swore herself. No matter what could happen, nobody would take the strength she gained away from her. Not even the one who inspired her to earn each drop of it, Tommy.

They met and the guys pretended they didn't know anything. Even so, Adam and Tanya gave her a affectionate hug, one of those that have the power of make us feel better instantly. They sat and talked for a few minutes about banalities. Suddenly a familiar sound informed them that the Power Chamber was calling. Kat sighed, fearing meet their leader.

"Rangers, don't worry, I just need you to teleport your wrist communicators and morphers to make a revision." Alpha-6 said, with his metallic voice.

They did it. A agreeable breeze traveled through that sunny day. Adam, Justin and Tanya looked at one another, in a complicity sign. Tanya expressed hesitation for a moment. She faced the boys again, and turned to Katherine.

"Kat, now we're temporarily free from unexpected missions, I want to ask you to give me a hand. I painted my bedroom, and was thinking if you could help me to fix it. I kept all my stuff in boxes in the garage, and I need to put them back. But... You look tired, so if you don't want to..." She was interrupted when Adam subtly stepped her feet.

"No! I wanna help! I remember when you moved from my house to your new one I was so busy that I couldn't help. I felt so guilty! It will be cool. Maybe we can have some fun as we work. And it'll be good to keep some little things away from my mind. Will the guys help?" She asked, thinking about Tommy.

"We will, but Tommy won't. He'll be busy with some trainings." Adam replied.

"Thank God!" Katherine thought.

"Kat, I need to buy some cleaning products before. Adam and Justin could go now and start. Could you take me in your car?" Tanya questioned.

"Take the keys. I will go with them. It will be faster."

Tanya thought for a second. Katherine was great on destroying their scripts. "Don't be silly! We must let them carry all the boxes, and then we show up, exactly when the hard work was finished." She laughed, and all of them did.

The girls arrived on Tanya's house. They went to her bedroom, and all the stuff seemed to be there. Justin faced Tanya, as he wanted to say something, something she knew what. She just kept on doing what she was doing and a couple of minutes later Adam dashed on her on purpose. She didn't have the expected reaction, so he said:

"Uh, Tanya. The garage is too filthy! It should be swept, don't you think?"

She looked at him with an unsure expression, "I'll do it."

"No! It's your bedroom, you're the only who knows where to place everything!" Justin said, in a scared tone.

"Ok. I see what you're trying..." Kat said.

The three teenagers were paralyzed, and she completed it, "You want me to go there and sweep the garage. Right. You two brought the boxes. I'll go."

They breathed relived. Katherine wondered why her were friends so strange since the day before. Then she shrugged and went to the garage. Adam and Justin faced Tanya seriously, and before they could say something, she spoke:

"She was fine and I was afraid to put her through this situation. Sorry..."

"It was you who said that a great percentage of people fall in love during a tense situation." Adam reminded her.

"Let's forget our mistakes now. The important is that we've done all we could. It's up to them from this moment on." She replied.

"Oh, no. The most important part is missing. I'll go running. And if it don't work, well, we still have the glue!" Justin made them laugh, and left the room.

Katherine entered into the garage. She was seeking the broom. She looked around and strangely realized that everything was clean. A very familiar voice called her name and they stood still, gazing each other. So she said:

"Tommy, I didn't know you were here."

"Adam and Justin just took me. Tanya painted her bedroom, and asked my help to arrange everything. I was sweeping the garage and finished right now."

"I'm here for the same reason. But mom called me, I'm going home and I came here to say that Adam is calling you upstairs." Kat lied.

"Didn't you say you didn't know I was here?" He perceived.

"I didn't know you were in the garage. I knew you were in the house..."

Suddenly the door slammed, and interrupted them. Katherine said bye and tried to get out. The door was locked. Tommy give an attempt to open it, thinking it was hardened. They finally faced their friends locked them, and sat in opposite sides. As when they took a walk around the circus on the day before, words were unspoken for fifteen minutes.

"Kat, did you forgive me?" Tommy ended the silence.

"Sure. I just need some time to figure it out." She hid her eyes with her hands, but then smiled at him, trying to be nonchalant about it, "I just don't want to talk about it. Gimme one week and things will be the same.

Tommy walked to her very slowly and sat by her side. He gave an unsure grin and gently put his arm around her. She stared him and said:

"Can't you just give me only one week! Please."

He stood back, "I guess they locked us because we need to talk."

One week! I'm not angry or something, you're not obligated to love me back. And I know you feel sorry. In one week we'll be the friends we were." She said in an frail and tense tone.

"Can't you stop being selfish for a minute!" He surprised her.

"What!?" She stood up and he followed her.

"Maybe I also have something to say!" Tommy held her arm.

"So you're the selfish one, because you can't accept that I don't want to hear." She started to cry, "But not me. Not really! 'Cause I'm the one who trespassed all her limits, and became someone I'm proud of! But it wasn't because I wanted to. All I did for somebody else. I've been always there for everyone! I risk my life to be a Power Ranger. I studied and I work hard to make my parents proud of me. I was the one ready to guide Tanya into a completely new life. I was the one to make Adam and Rocky believe that there wasn't nothing wrong on being different and to support their relationship. I was the one to take care of a kid alone in the world, Justin! And I, you know, I was the one you used when you were booted, and then you dumped me! I did it all and I didn't get the only thing I wanted! I didn't get your love. So don't tell me I'm selfish!

Tommy held her tight until she quit crying. He stared her and his eyes were also wet. He dried Kat's face and they tried to smile. Tommy passed his hands trough her ears and stopped on her cheek, softly holding it. Their lips touched and they stayed for some time like that, feeling each other breathe, smell and warmth. Then that felling, held on for so long, turned into a wild and passionate kiss, where their hands were fast traveling thought their bodies. Hearts are often broken When there are words unspoken In your soul there's answers to your prayers If you're searching for a place you know A familiar face, somewhere to go You should look inside yourself You're halfway there Sometimes you'll laugh Sometimes you'll cry Life never tells us, the when's or why's But when you've got friends, to wish you well You'll find your point when You will exhale

"Kat, I love you and there's only one promise I need you to do. If someday you're feelings for me change, don't let me be the last to know."

"I'm not Kimberly." She giggled.

"No, you're not. You're the one I love. The only one." And they kissed.

Note: This series will be continued. The next episode will be "Chapter II: Tanya". Maybe it can take two or three weeks (Today is 08/07/2000), because I'll be traveling for a while. Thanks if you came so far.

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