Disclaimer in Part One

*~*~*~*~*~*~

Chapter Thirteen: Strange Stirrings

"Back off, Rocky; you're making me nervous," Tanya chastised the Blue Ranger who was hovering over her shoulder as she worked on reproducing her aerial view of the jungle in the dirt.

"Are you sure about this?" Rocky asked instead of moving off. "I can't believe the lake is this big."

"How would you know? You weren't up there," Tanya shot back.

Kim wandered over and glanced at the drawing. "My memories of the layout of the land are sketchy at best, but what you have here is looking awfully familiar."

It had been two days since the seven had settled down by the shores of the lake. They had unanimously decided to take some time to let all their various injuries heal before attempting to continue their journey. Two days of relative inactivity had certainly helped, but they were now anxious to be on the move again.

"This is where we're presently camped," Billy said, indicating a section of shoreline. "I recognize the contours from what I've observed on my walks. Your cartographic skills are impressive."

"Thanks. Dad was always good with maps," Tanya said sadly, and Kat put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"It looks like we're at the widest part of the lake," Tommy noted.

"Crossing this is going to be tough," Adam murmured.

"Especially considering the size of the fish."

"Can we go around?" Kat wondered.

"We'll lose a lot of time," Billy mused.

"Does it really matter?" Rocky asked. "How long have we been wandering around this jungle anyway? Weeks! And we haven't seen a sign of Amadan's temple. We're probably going in the wrong direction while Amadan sits all snug in his temple laughing his ass off at us."

"No, we're headed in the right direction," Tanya answered with quiet confidence. "When we were airborne, I saw something... a brilliant yellow light...."

"Sunlight reflecting off a building?" Tommy asked.

"No--at least, not that I could tell. As the light faded, I saw something in it--my Zeo symbol."

"Sounds like a good sign to me," Kim remarked.

"So we keep heading east," Tommy concluded.

"Judging from what we have here, the lake narrows in places to the north and south of our present position," Billy said. "The question is, how close to our camp are these sections, and exactly how narrow is the expanse."

"Let's send teams to find out," Tommy recommended. "One group will head north, the other south, and which ever team finds the narrow stretch first, that's the direction we'll head." He looked around to see if the others were in agreement.

"Actually, one team should stay around here," Kim suggested, "you know, as sort of a relay, and the team that stays will be responsible for finding dinner and restocking some of our supplies. We're running pretty low on a lot of things: cocoon thread, willow bark, purple leaves and the burn relief...."

"Perhaps Kimberly and I should be the relay team," Billy volunteered, "She and I stand the best chance of locating all the requisite supplies."

"Adam, Tanya and I can take the south shore," Rocky piped up.

"Actually, I was wanting to rearrange the groups," Tommy said, astonishing the others. "We know how well the usual assignments function, but if Amadan hits us again, we have to be prepared. I was thinking Billy and Rocky, Adam, Kat and Tanya, and me and Kim."

Looking around, Tommy could see that what he had in mind was obvious to everyone except Kim. She cocked a questioning eyebrow at the assignments. Tommy kept his face perfectly composed. Granted, they had been stationary for two days, but there hadn't been any time for him to talk to her privately. She had spent much of the first day sleeping on and off, and the seven of them had spent the bulk of the second day huddled under the makeshift tarp, for once staying dry in a rainstorm.

"Billy, Rocky, you guys head north. Kat, Adam, Tanya, take the southern stretch," Tommy directed. "Use your best judgement about how far you go. We should all meet back here around sundown."

"And what if we haven't reached the narrow sections?" Rocky muttered.

"We try again in the morning. Let's get going, folks."

"I wish he'd just tell Kim and get it over with," Rocky complained as he trailed along after Adam and the girls to fetch a water bag. He wasn't happy with his new assignment. He liked working with Adam and Tanya; over the course of their adventure, the three of them had become almost as tight as he, Adam and Aisha had been.

"That's why he did this," Kat responded, putting a consoling hand on his arm. Her tone was gentle, without sadness, and both Tanya and Adam shot her concerned looks. "I'm okay, you two. It doesn't bother me so much any more."

Tanya regarded her skeptically. Only forty-eight hours ago, Kat had been utterly devastated by the break up.

"I didn't say that it had stopped hurting," Kat hastened to clarify herself. "I just had time to think things over during the last couple of days, and I noticed something. Even though Tommy and I had a few awkward moments, I found that I enjoyed his company more than I have in a long while. It was nice to be able to talk to him without worrying or having doubts about our relationship."

"Maybe you two were just meant to be friends," Adam ventured, trying to keep his tone comforting without betraying the hope in his heart.

"I'm beginning to think you may be right," Kat agreed.

"Catch!" Tommy called down. Seconds later, Kim was pulling in a cocoon. Thus far, their scavenger hunt had been successful. As she tucked the ball of strong thread into the sack, she hoped they wouldn't have to use it to stitch anyone else up. The only thing they hadn't been able to locate was another purple leaf.

"Why don't we work on finding dinner," Kim suggested as she waited for Tommy to drop down out of the branches. Actually, she wished Tommy would get to whatever it was he was up to. She didn't know how much longer her nerves could take the suspense. She had been trying to figure out what was going on between the two of them ever since she fully regained consciousness. She still wasn't sure if the kiss and his affectionate words had been real or not, but considering how nice he had been to her the last two days she was beginning to think so. The question was why.

"Actually, if you don't mind, how about we take a break?" Tommy asked as he regained the ground.

"Sure." Kim found a soft patch of moss and took a seat. She still wasn't one hundred percent and was feeling a little winded. She took a swig from the waterskin then handed it to Tommy. She eyed him warily as he sat down next to her.

"Kim, we need to talk," he began, running his hand through his hair and around the back of his neck. It was a nervous gesture Kim well remembered.

"About...?" she prompted.

"All the stuff that we've really needed to discuss but were too afraid to." Tommy rested his arms across his knees in an effort to keep himself from getting up and pacing. "I suppose, though, that I should start out by apologizing. Ever since you patched me up, I've been a real ass--I've treated you pretty rotten, and I didn't mean to. I really am sorry."

"Why?" was all Kim could think to say.

"I'll explain that in a minute. I also wanted to apologize for the break-up...."

"Wait a minute here," Kim stammered. "You're apologizing to me for the break-up? Are you completely nuts or what? I'm the one who should be apologizing for that; after all, I'm the one who sent the letter."

"I know, but that's not the way I meant it. I'm sorry for what I did to cause you to break up with me."

"Huh?"

"Billy told me how you tried and tried to get in touch with me; the letter was a last resort." Tommy paused; the words weren't coming out right. In his mind, he had this discussion all planned out, but he wasn't finding it as easy as he had imagined. "Kim, when you sent the letter, was that something you really wanted to do or was it something you felt you had to do. Did you really fall out of love with me?"

"N-no," Kim admitted reluctantly. She felt herself panicking. She couldn't do this! And yet, she knew she had to. She and Tommy would have no closure until they got everything out into the open, and if that meant baring her soul then she'd just have to do it.

"You told me that you and Todd just sort of happened... that you got close when he was helping you through some rough patches. Am I wrong in assuming that those rough patches had to do with our relationship?"

Kim didn't say anything as she hung her head. She couldn't meet Tommy's expectant gaze.

"Why did you break up with me? The truth."

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Kim answered, "I let you go because I thought I had already lost you, and I thought it would be easier if I did the leaving than if I waited for you to do it."

"Why did you think you had lost me? Because of what happened between your folks?"

"Maybe a little." Kim gave a wry little laugh. She picked idly at the patch of moss. "I used to think I was so confident... that nothing could shake my belief in my friends, my family--myself. Then, Zedd got hold of my Power Coin; I think that's when the armor first cracked. I began to question if I was good enough... for the team... for you...."

"That sounds like one of my riffs," Tommy interjected, trying to lighten things up a little.

"Kim essayed a wan smile at that, but it quickly faded. "Then, there was Kat."

Tommy hadn't been expecting that statement. "I don't understand; I thought you liked Kat--that's why you gave her your coin."

"I did... I do like Kat; that's what makes this so stupid and petty. It's just that Kat was tall, blonde, beautiful, poised and graceful, not to mention really sweet...."

"You're all those things, too... well, except the tall and blonde part," Tommy said with a teasing grin, and Kim just made a face at him.

"Do you have any idea how many times I've been dumped for a tall blonde with a great body?" Kim sighed, recalling the old disappointments of her early teen years. "I saw how you guys looked at Kat when she first came around, and...."

"Kim, you didn't need to be jealous of Kat. Okay, I admit, she did catch my eye when I first saw her, but I wasn't interested in her. You were all that mattered to me... so beautiful, intelligent, brave.... When I first saw you in school--you were so pretty and popular--I almost didn't have the nerve to say anything to you. If it hadn't been for Bulk and Skull harassing you that day...." Tommy just shook his head. "I was never interested in tall blondes. I loved you; I didn't want anyone else."

"I guess I was never really sure how you felt."

"Couldn't you tell...? When we were together, it was the best feeling in the world. You always made me feel so good inside. Sometimes I was afraid that I'd be practically glowing or something."

"And you always made me feel so special," Kim whispered, feeling misty-eyed. If only they could have told each other these things sooner!

"Kim, if you had known how I felt--that I loved you and that I hadn't gone looking for someone else when you left--would you still have left me for Todd?

"Of course not! I loved you! I wanted to die when I sent you that letter... I think, maybe, part of me did."

"So, if I had written or called or done something, none of this would have happened," Tommy said quietly, returning to his apology. "I hadn't realized that I was neglecting you. I was so caught up in being a Ranger... I let my sense of duty blind me to what was really important to me. You did everything you could, Kim, and I screwed up and let you down."

"I don't blame you, Tommy. I never did. I should have been stronger... not let my doubts and insecurities get the best of me. I should have trusted you...."

"That's hard to do when you're far away from everyone and everything you've ever known and loved. I know what it's like to be a stranger in a new place--the fear and uncertainty. I felt like that when I first came to Angel Grove. At least I had my family and you guys when all the upheavals with my Powers came along. When you turned to get support from us, none of us were there for you. You did what you felt you had to do."

"But it wasn't the right thing."

"Face it; we both messed up--you for not trusting me and me for taking you for granted. However, we can't dwell on that. We've got to let what happened go and move on."

"I'm willing, if you are," Kim ventured.

"Friends?"

"Friends."

Tommy scrambled to his feet and offered Kim a hand up. The two shared a brief, awkward hug.

"Man, if only we could have done this back at the beginning of this mess," Tommy sighed.

"Yeah, we would have avoided a lot of pain," Kim agreed.

Tommy was about to offer further commentary when a low rumbling distracted him. Kim grinned, and he looked sheepish.

"Why don't we go find lunch," she suggested, handing Tommy the supply sack so she could be free to wield her bow.

"See any likely targets?" Tommy wondered.

"Pay attention, and I'll teach you how to follow these little critters around," Kim said jauntily as she stooped down to search for a likely looking set of tracks. Spying a promising set, she led Tommy off into the underbrush.

The two trailed their prey in thoughtful silence; however, after several minutes of tracking, the footprints vanished at the base of a tree.

"Well, that's just nifty," Kim snorted in annoyance.

"We'll find something else," Tommy assured her. Just then, there was a chittering sound in the leaves overhead, and moments later, a small missile plonked down on Kimberly.

"Ow," she complained, rubbing her head, glaring up into the greenery. The creature wasn't visible, but they could still hear its angry chattering.

"I think our would-be dinner has declared war on you," Tommy snickered as another nut came hurling down at Kim.

"Oh yeah? Well, just let it show its fuzzy little face; I'll teach it to throw nuts at me," Kim grumbled. There was something about Kimberly's stance--the glint in her eyes and the set of her jaw--she looked so fierce and at the same time the situation was so ridiculous that Tommy couldn't help laughing.

"What?" Kim snapped indignantly.

"Nothing," Tommy snickered as a series of spheres rained down on Kim. "Maybe if we stand here antagonizing it long enough, it'll throw down enough of these to feed us."

"Thanks for the support," she grumbled as she backed out of the creature's range.

"Come on, let's see what else is out here," Tommy suggested. The two resumed their hunt but found no other promising tracks. As they paused to rest again, Kim regarded Tommy thoughtfully. There was still something that wasn't sitting well with her about the situation.

"You know," she began hesitantly, "you never did answer my question about why you were being such an ass. D-did you really hate me for what I did?"

Tommy gave her question serious consideration before answering. "I was pretty hurt, but I never hated you."

"So, you weren't just trying to get back at me for dumping you?"

"Is that what you thought? Did you really think I'd be that petty?" he asked, sounding a little hurt.

"Not really. I guess I just felt I deserved it after all that I had done...."

"Don't you ever think that! No one deserves to be treated like that. I honestly hadn't meant to hurt you; I guess I was just scared and confused," Tommy confessed. "When I first got your letter, I just locked everything I had been feeling up inside, but ever since I saw you in the Games, those feelings started coming back. I thought I was handling them okay, but I was only fooling myself. After my injury, I wasn't in control any longer, and I guess I panicked. I was afraid of letting myself get close to you again... afraid that you might hurt me again, so I did my best to push you away. Only, things got out of hand; I tried to stop myself, but I only seemed to make matters worse. I'm not proud of what I did, Kim, and I hope that you can forgive me."

"If you can forgive me, too," Kim agreed. "Although I thought that you had replaced me, I didn't want to hurt you. And even though I didn't know how much, I knew that you had cared--at least at one time. I knew on some level that I had to have hurt you. When Todd broke up with me, I knew how you must have felt. When Billy told me about what happened, I was absolutely sick inside knowing that I caused you that kind of pain. I never want to do that again."

"You and Todd aren't together?" Tommy queried innocently, hiding the beginnings of a smile as the last of his doubts melted away. He already knew the answer.

"No," and she finally told him what she had told Billy of their break up.

"I'm sorry," Tommy said quietly at the conclusion of her tale. What Todd had put her through was as cruel as what she had done to him, and no one deserved to hurt like that.

"It's all right. It was probably for the best," Kim sighed. "I realize now that I turned to Todd because he reminded me of you not because of his own qualities. That wasn't fair to either of us."

"I wish you would have told me this before."

"I know, but I didn't want to interfere with your relationship with Kat."

"About me and Kat...." Tommy began anxiously. Kim was looking up at him expectantly. "She and I had a talk. We're no longer together."

"Oh, Tommy, no," Kim murmured, her eyes filling with sympathy. "I'm sorry." She had thought he and Kat had been happy together; she didn't want him to be hurt again.

"It was for the best," he sighed. "It was time she and I stopped fooling ourselves; we tried--it just didn't work out. It would have only hurt us both in the long run to keep trying."

"Poor Kat, and here she was so afraid that I was going to try and steal you away from her. I hope you let her down more gently than I did you."

"Actually, I got dumped again."

"She broke it off? She loves you as much as I do--did."

Tommy hid his smile at Kim's slip up. Even though he knew she still loved him, he hadn't wanted to get overconfident, but now he couldn't keep the happiness from swelling within him. "She did it because she could see even better than I could that I was in love with someone else."

Kim was stunned. For a moment, she felt hope flicker in her heart--maybe there might be a chance for her and Tommy again, but now for Tommy to admit to being in love with someone else.... It made Kim's heart ache to see the loving glow that lit his face.

"She's the first girl I ever gave my heart to."

"T-that's wonderful," Kim stammered.

"I just hope she's willing to take a chance on me again."

"I'm sure she will." Kim didn't know what else to say. "Will you talk to her as soon as we get home?"

"Actually, I don't think I can wait that long."

"Huh?"

Tommy smiled brightly, and as he took her hands in his, a feeling of deja vu washed over Kim. She looked up at him--uncertainty in her eyes, much like at the beach when she lost her Powers.

"So, would you be willing to give us a second chance?" Tommy queried. He had made a mistake before in thinking that she could read what was in his heart... never telling her.... "I love you. I have from the moment we met, and I will always--no matter what."

"T-Tommy?" Kim fumbled.

"You do still love me, don't you?" he asked softly

"I never stopped," Kim said huskily. She squeezed Tommy's hands tightly.

"Please, Kim; let's try again."

"Y-you really want to?"

"More than anything."

With a sob that was part relief and part joy, Kim flung her arms around Tommy. Tommy enfolded his arms around her, pulling her close as if he would never let her go. The fullness in his heart was almost too much to be contained, and he felt his own eyes misting up.

"Man, I've been wanting to do this since you walked through the doors in the juice bar," Tommy sighed with perfect contentment. It felt so good to have Kim in his arms once again.

"I've been wanting you to do that, too; I had nearly forgotten... I always felt safe and loved when you held me; I've missed that," Kim murmured. She reveled in the embrace a moment longer, then, she pulled back slightly, playfully swatting him on the arm.

"What did you do that for?" Tommy wondered.

"For jerking me around like this. For a moment, I really thought there was another girl besides Kat. Why the big production?"

"I didn't want to make it too easy for you," he replied, a grin tugging at his lips; both heard the echoes of Kim's playful banter from that faraway afternoon when they shared their first kiss. The laughter came easily to them; however, it died away, replaced by deeper feelings. Tommy softly caressed Kim's face then tilted her chin upwards ever-so-slightly. They moved as one, and their lips met in a lingering kiss that stirred all the sweetness and emotion of their former relationship and spoke of the promise of their new bond.

When at last they parted, both were breathless, flushed, and a bit giddy. Neither could speak, but no words were necessary; everything they wanted to say was plain in their shining eyes.

~*~

"Let's see, who haven't we assigned a character to," Rocky mused thoughtfully as he lounged in the shade. The day was the hottest they had ever experienced in the tropical forest, and the humidity was smothering. There'd be no starting on the raft today.

The search parties hadn't been successful in locating the narrow sections of the lake, so they took a vote and headed south. After several days of traveling, the seven had reached a likely spot where the far shore was visible.

"... Adam and I are the Skipper and Gilligan, Billy is the Professor...."

"I hope the girls finish up soon," Billy groaned softly. Their camp was adjacent to a small alcove surrounded on three sides by low rising cliffs. The lake had proven to be a bit too inhospitable for recreational purposes, but the pool was perfect for swimming. The girls had risen early to take advantage of the cool water, leaving their counterparts to wait their turn.

"I guess that means Tommy is Mr. Howell," Adam ventured, joining Rocky's game reluctantly. He knew that unless he participated, Rocky was likely to stick it to him just out of spite.

"Yeah! It works. Tommy always has been a little full of himself," Rocky snickered.

"Hey, leave me out of this," Tommy objected. He glared at Rocky who blithely ignored him.

"That makes Kim Lovey," Adam noted; it had been pretty obvious that the two had talked and were a couple once again.

"Don't let Kim hear you say that," Billy chided, thinking that Kim would not like to have been cast as the millionaire's scatterbrained wife. Although, the selection made sense; after all, the Howells were the only couple among the castaways. Tommy and Kim were happier than they had been in a very long while, and yet, Billy had the sense that all was not as it should be. He had hoped their reunion would set everything to rights, but there was still an undercurrent of tension between them; he just couldn't figure out the cause.

"That leaves Ginger and Mary Ann...."

"Okay, guys, the pool's all yours!" Tanya announced as the girls returned to the campsite.

"All right!" Rocky cheered, leaping to his feet.?

"A timely rescue if ever there was one," Billy murmured softly as he got to his feet. Tommy had to stifle a chuckle.

"Have fun," Kat called out, flashing Adam a smile as he started after Rocky. The Green Ranger stood there for a moment, beaming at her, when his long time friend grabbed him by the arm and tugged him down the makeshift path.

"We'd better catch up," Billy sighed. "There's no telling what sort of trouble they'll get into otherwise."

"Right," Tommy agreed, but he hung back as Kimberly came by. He found his mouth suddenly dry; Kim was still wet, and the water beading on her skin looked so... tempting.

"Hey, Tommy," she murmured shyly. She felt ridiculous; she hadn't felt so bashful around Tommy since they first started dating. She was well aware of the intensity of his gaze; it both flattered and flustered her.

"Hey, Kim."

She was about to walk on past and join Kat and Tanya, but Tommy caught her hand. She eyed him expectantly. Tommy glanced back to see where Kat and Tanya had gotten to. Neither one was around. Kim followed his gaze, understanding. They hadn't been as openly affectionate as in the past. Somehow, they were a little more self-conscious about indulging when the others couldn't. Once the coast was clear, Tommy swept Kim into his arms. Since their reconciliation, the two hadn't had much time to themselves, just stolen embraces whenever they could.

As he held Kim, Tommy luxuriated in the feel of her soft, warm body pressed tightly against his. He felt the tremor that rippled through her and the warmth of her breath against his skin. He reached a hand up to stroke her hair--he wished it was dry. Her hair was so soft and silky. His other hand rested safely on her the small of her back; the urge to slide it down, to test the curve of her sweet bottom (no longer swathed in the necessary furs) was nigh irresistible.

Kim nuzzled her cheek against the silken steel of Tommy's chest; her heart was pounding a mile a minute. She couldn't help it; it happened every time Tommy held her... or fixed her with his chocolate brown gaze... or simply was around. Kim cast a glance towards Tommy's face; he gave one of his heart melting smiles. It made her feel bold; tiptoeing so that she could better reach, she kissed him.

What had started out as a playful peck quickly transformed into something deeper. Lips parted, allowing tongues to dance and explore. The embrace strengthened, pressing bodies more closely together. Hands roamed, and the two were swiftly lost in the fiery rush. Then, as swiftly as the passion overtook them, the intense wave ebbed--as it always did--leaving them breathless, excited, and confused. Things had never been this intense between the two of them, and neither was quite sure how to handle it.

"Wow," Tommy gulped, excruciatingly aware of her body next to his. It was startling to realize that she was as excited as he was. He could see it in her eyes... feel it in the hardness that pressed against his chest.... It was an overwhelmingly powerful feeling.

"Yeah," Kim echoed, blushing faintly. She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself; still, she was acutely aware of Tommy's state of excitement. As always, she tried not to look. She wondered if he realized just how forcefully his manhood throbbed against her. It hadn't been as noticeable when she had the furry underwear on, but now... well, she didn't want to say anything and embarrass him. She was thrilled to think that he responded to her like that--and more than a little frightened by the possibilities.

Neither one wanted to let the other go.

"I had an idea," Tommy ventured when he could finally find his voice again. "This evening, if it cools down enough, would you maybe like to claim a little private time and head up to the bluffs? We could watch the sunset."

"I'd love to, Tommy."

They both had been desperately wanting to spend a little time together--something more than stolen moments.

"It's a date, then," Tommy confirmed with a grin.

"Tell you what, I'll even bring the comb," Kim offered, grinning, and Tommy all but purred. She knew how much he enjoyed having his hair played with. The two stood there for several minutes, simply staring and grinning at each other. Then, somewhat reluctantly, Kim extricated herself from Tommy's arms. "You'd better catch up with the others before they come looking for you," she whispered.

"I'd rather stay here with you," Tommy pouted.

"I know, but you guys need some time away from us girls... male bonding and all that sort of stuff," she teased.

"Yeah--right!"

"Go on, if I'm going to comb your hair out, you need to wash it."

"Okay," Tommy agreed; he swooped in for a quick kiss, but like the first, it threatened to get away from them.

"TOMMY!"

The two broke the kiss, and Tommy leaned his forehead against Kim's.

"I think I'll kill Rocky," he muttered.?

Kim giggled as Tommy sighed in frustration. "You'd better go." She gave him a quick peck, then scampered off.

Tommy watched her walk away; his second sigh of frustration had nothing to do with Rocky being annoying. Once she was completely gone from view, Tommy headed up the path the others had taken.

"Tommy, you coming?" Adam called out, seconding Rocky's shout. About that time, they saw him heading up the trail.

"Oh, I bet he will... later," Rocky snickered.

"Rocky...." Adam chastised his companion, elbowing him.

"Hey, can I help it? Ever since he and Kim got back together, he's been worse than I was at the beginning of this little adventure."

"What do you mean by that?" Tommy challenged.

"Oh, nothing," Rocky answered, all innocent. However, he was unable to control his laughter. Exasperated, Adam pushed him into the pool.

"What is he talking about?" Tommy sighed, not certain if he really wanted to know.

"I believe Rocky was referring to the fact that your appreciation of Kimberly's person has been more... unrestrained of late," Billy explained with amused delicacy.

Tommy caught his meaning perfectly, and it got him to thinking. If his 'appreciation' was still noticeable, how much more noticeable had it been when he was with Kimberly.... He realized that Kimberly had to have been aware of his erection.

"Oh, man," he groaned, his cheeks turning scarlet. In a fit of self-consciousness, Tommy leaped into the cold water. Actually, holding and kissing Kim had always gotten him hard; it just wasn't as noticeable through his jeans.

"Are you okay?" Billy queried as he waded into the water more sedately.

"Mortified," Tommy grumbled as he shook his wet locks out of his face, spraying Billy in the process. "Kim must think I'm some kind of...."

"... healthy heterosexual teenager," Billy concluded for him. "It's a perfectly natural response, given the stimulus."

"And I thought controlling my 'perfectly natural response' was hard when I couldn't let my 'appreciation' show." Tommy retorted. "I'm worse now than I was then."

Tommy fell silent as he wrung more water out of his hair. The almost cocky self-assurance he had felt when asking Kim to get back together was gone, replaced by an uncertainty deeper than that which he felt when he had asked Kim out on their first date. He eyed Billy speculatively and wondered if he should pursue the topic. He had never talked much about what went on on his dates, and yet, Tommy had never felt the urge to open up so strongly. What was he looking for? Advice? Reassurance?

"Man, Billy, what am I going to do?" he sighed.

Billy, wisely, remained silent, and Tommy plunged on.

"I thought getting back together with Kim would take care of the problems...."

"It hasn't?"

"No, it's created ones I never even dreamed of."

"I thought I detected an underlying tension between the two of you," Billy began.

"Oh, there's tension, all right--sexual tension," Tommy admitted softly so Rocky and Adam wouldn't overhear.

Billy's cheeks colored. "Um, Tommy, I... don't know what to... I mean, I'm the wrong person to be talking to about this subject...." he stammered.

"I know. If I could, I'd talk to Jason, but since he's not here you'll have to do," Tommy replied, understanding Billy's discomfort. "I hope you don't mind."

"This little adventure of ours is making me consider taking up the field of psychology," Billy sighed. "I've already spent a good portion of this trip being Kim's confidante."

Tommy just smiled, but it faded as he considered what he wanted to say.

"I'm not sure what it is; Kim's always gotten the ol' hormones in an uproar, but never like this."

"You've never spent a prolonged period of time in her presence sans clothes before--have you?" Billy asked delicately.

"No. We were just starting to get serious when the district competition came up. We'd talked about sex and stuff but never did anything... well, maybe some casual groping and some pretty heavy kissing. Nothing major. Once she started training, there really was no time for anything more," he admitted with a wistful sigh. "Anyway, Kim had made it clear that she wanted to wait, said she wasn't ready. To be honest, I was kind of relieved, but now.... I don't know; things seem to be moving too quickly.. Sometimes it's as if the break up never occurred, and other times we're as goofy as we were when we were first dating."

"So we've noticed," Billy interjected wryly.

"We're trying to be discreet...." Tommy said defensively.

"I know."

"We've only been together a couple of days, but, oh man, Billy, it's all I can do to control myself. I want her so badly, and sometimes I think she wants me just as much."

"Have you talked to Kim about this?"

"No, but I can see it in her eyes... feel it when we kiss, and yet, there are other times when she backs away, as if she's scared or something. I'm almost too confused to do anything; I never know how she's going to react."

"Then you should be having this talk with her, not me," Billy advised. "You and Kim need to do what's best for the both of you--be that having intercourse or abstaining."

"What would you think if we...?"

"It doesn't matter what I think--or any of the rest of the team for that matter. That's a private matter between you and Kim."

"Like we really have a lot of privacy around here."

Billy had to concede the point. Still.... "Tommy, you need to do what's right for your relationship. That's the only thing that should matter."

~*~

"Who knew building a raft would be so hard," Tommy muttered as he secured another knot. That accomplished, he stood and wiped away the sweat trickling into his eyes. The seven had been working diligently for days on the small craft that would take them across the lake.

"We're almost finished," Billy noted. "Just a couple more logs should do it." The construction process had been limited by the availability of fallen timber since they had no way of cutting the trees down.

"We could always see if we could get another whatever-it-was to chase Rocky into a tree again," Tanya quipped. A large, angry quadruped had decided that Rocky looked like a potential dinner, and Rocky had led the creature on a merry chase. It had been intent on pinning the Blue Ranger to a tree, when Rocky had leaped clear, and the hunter was unable to avoid smashing into the trunk.

"No thank you," Rocky demurred.

"Things might go faster if everyone was here to pitch in," Kim murmured.

The others glanced up at her. She had been unusually quiet all morning.

"Kat went to the pool to see if she could wash that sap out of her hair before it hardens," Tanya said.

"Yeah, she did get good and slimed," Rocky snickered, recalling the sticky goo that had poured down on Kat as she had tried to harvest some more of the vines they were using to fasten the logs together.

"Where did Adam get to?" Billy queried.

"I hadn't realized he had taken off," Tommy remarked.

Rocky had, and he scowled. He knew where Adam was, and he wasn't happy about it. Adam had been acting really weird ever since Tommy and Kat's break up. First, Tommy had split up their team, and now Adam was spending more and more of his free time with Tanya and Kat. He hardly spent any time scouting or stuff with him. Rocky glanced over at Kim, who was unusually intent on plaiting the vines into ropes. A grin tugged at his mouth. She had always gotten bent out of shape when she found him spying on the girls. Man, but she could seriously chew a guy out! It would serve Adam right if Kim caught him doing the same thing. That's what he was doing up on the cliff: watching Kat, and it would show Kim that he wasn't the only Peeping Tom on the team.

"Aw, he probably went up the northwestern cliff," Rocky said oh-so-helpfully. "He likes to go up there when he wants to... think."

"Did he claim private time?" Billy asked.

"Nope. Didn't say a word."

"He knows we're working on this thing today," Tommy muttered.

"Hey, Kim, are you all right this morning?" Rocky asked solicitously. "You look a little worn out."

That drew everyone's attention to Kim; Tommy's eyes softened with concern.

"I... didn't sleep too well last night," Kim stammered, avoiding looking at the others--especially Tommy.

"Are you sure?" Tommy queried.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"Why don't you take a break," Tanya said. "You've been at it since before the rest of the guys were up."

"Why don't you take a walk and go find Adam," Rocky suggested. "I mean, somebody needs to go get him, and it's not a bad walk up the cliff."

"An excellent suggestion," Billy concurred.

"Once Adam gets back, maybe you should claim some private time to take a nap," Tommy added.

"I'm not that tired," Kim demurred. "I think the walk will be enough." Kim set her ropes down, and Tommy gave her hand a little squeeze before she started towards the slight hill.

"What are you up to?" Tanya hissed in Rocky's ear, having observed the glimmer in his eyes.

"Who me? Not a thing. Kim needs a break, and Adam needs to get his butt back here."

To be honest, Kim was grateful to get away from the camp for a little while. The morning had been murder--especially working side by side with Tommy. She sighed longingly, then swore. What was the matter with her? Even the most innocent thought of Tommy had her pulse pounding! It had been like this ever since they got back together, and she didn't know what to do about it. They were supposed to take things slowly... weren't they? Yet, she ached with wanting Tommy, and that scared her to no end.

She had always been a little uncomfortable with how much Tommy got to her; that was why--when they had discussed sex once upon a time--she had said she wanted to wait (when all she really wanted to do was jump him then and there). It was as if she had no control over her responses, and they just seemed so powerful... that's what made last night's dream all the more disturbing.

It had been one of her wicked, wild dreams. She and Tommy had been making love; the vision had been so powerfully real that when she had climaxed in her dream, she woke herself up, her body covered in sweat and still throbbing with the afterglow of her orgasm. She looked around; fortunately, she and Tommy had settled down on the outer edge of their sleeping muddle, and Tanya, who had the watch, was busy singing to herself. She was grateful that Tommy had apparently slept through her wet dream, too. She was just about to settle back down to sleep when she realized that Tommy's arm was draped across her hips, his hand resting against her mound. Furiously embarrassed, she pushed the sleep-heavy limb away. That's when she discovered that his fingers were wet and smelled faintly of her.

What had happened? Had Tommy been playing with her in his sleep? Had she been grinding against his hand as she had ground against his hips in her dream? Kim didn't know, but she still could not get the memory of Tommy's intimate touch out of her head.

Kim didn't know what to do. She wished Aisha was around; she had confided in the former Yellow Ranger about the intensity of her feelings. She had once tried to talk to her mom about it; normally, her mother was pretty cool about stuff like that, but once she mentioned Tommy and sex in the same breath, her mom began suggesting that maybe she and Tommy were spending too much time together--getting too close, too quickly. Anyway, neither woman was available. Kim wasn't comfortable around Kat (again!), and she wasn't sure about Tanya, and there was no way she was going to Billy about this.

Her troubled thoughts had occupied her so completely that she hadn't realized she had attained the summit. It took a moment for Kim to clear her mind. As always, the beauty of the view took her breath away. It was a perfect spot for thinking... or watching a sunset. That was all she and Tommy had done the other night. The tender calm of that evening made the passionate storms of their other encounters all the more perplexing.

That's enough. You're here to find Adam, Kim schooled herself. She looked about but didn't see the Green Ranger. The bushes were pretty thick away from the ledge; if Adam was anywhere, he was most likely on one of the rocks near the edge. As she pushed her way through the brush, Kim heard a sound--a gasp or a moan. Then, from somewhere below her, she heard a splash. Kim cleared the vegetation and looked over the cliff's edge; she had a perfect view of the pool. She peered over just as Kat emerged from the water and made her way over to a grassy patch on the shore to sun herself... just like a cat.

As Kat stretched out, Kim heard that low moan again. It seemed to be coming from around the bend. Kim started towards it cautiously. It didn't sound like Adam, but who else could it be? Was he hurt or something? If so, why hadn't he called down to Kat; she'd be able to hear him. As she rounded the bend, Kim smiled with relief. There was Adam, sitting near the ledge. He looked all right to her; it was a good thing she hadn't called out. It might have startled him and made him jump the wrong way--if he had even heard her. He seemed to be lost in thought. His head fell back, and he wore the most peculiar expression Kim had ever seen. His breathing was labored, and his hand was rhythmically moving up and....

Oh God!

She had caught Adam masturbating! Fire scorched Kim's cheeks, and her only thought was to get out of there. However, her body would not obey. She couldn't even shut her eyes. She stood, frozen in place, and watched as Adam stroked himself.

This can't be happening to me; it just can't!

Her eyes missed nothing, from the changes in his expressions to the changes in his pace. In spite of her acute embarrassment, Kim was fascinated; she had always been kind of curious about how guys did it. Disturbingly, she felt herself getting aroused by what she was seeing; she could feel her own moisture on the insides of her thighs, and her fingers twitched with wanting to alleviate her own excitement.

Adam's soft moans began to take on an intensity that she was familiar with, and that helped to break some of her paralysis. She finally was able to close her eyes. Even if she couldn't move, she could at least give Adam that much privacy. Was this what Tommy did when he...? Of course, she didn't know for a fact that he did or not, but if she had to get off, he probably did, too. She wondered if Tommy ever jerked off while spying on her. Astonishingly, she found the thought of Tommy watching her and doing what Adam was doing rather appealing; it caused a shiver of excitement to race down her spine.

What is the matter with me?

Finally, Adam bit back a telling moan; Kim had to force herself to keep her eyes closed. However, the sound of his release freed Kimberly from immobility. She spun around quickly in hopes of escaping before Adam discovered she was there, but she stepped on a twig. The resulting snap sounded like a gun shot.

"Who's there?" Adam yelped, whirling around. "Kim? Oh God...."

Kim froze in mid-stride. She wanted to die! She did not turn around when her words came spilling out in a rush. "I'm sorry, Adam; I didn't mean to... they needed your help on the raft... Rocky told me you were up here...."

"You saw...?"

Kim hung her head and didn't answer. Her silence was as damning as if she had spoken. It hadn't even occurred to her to fib and say she had only just gotten there. "I'm so sorry." Her whispered apology was scarcely audible.

"It's not your fault," Adam stammered. "I--I didn't claim private time. I know I shouldn't have been spying on Kat, but... you won't tell her, will you?"

Adam's plaintive tone made Kim glance back. His cheeks burned as hotly as her own, and although he wore a stricken expression, his eyes implored her to silence desperately.

"No, I won't," she assured him, favoring him with a gentle, sympathetic smile. With her promise, Adam glanced away, unable to meet her eyes any longer. She knew she should probably just go, but she couldn't just leave things as they were. If she and Adam didn't work this out, the others were bound to ask questions. There had to be a way to make things right between them.

"Look, Adam, don't worry about it," Kim began awkwardly, placing her hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure you're not the only one who's done something like this. In fact..." She took a deep breath; she couldn't believe she was going to do it, but if it would help Adam out....

"... I know you're not the only one." Her tone caught Adam's attention, and he looked up at her. His eyes widened as he picked up on the look in her eye.

"Y-you mean you...?" he gulped.

"Uh huh." It wasn't quite the truth. She had never masturbated while watching Tommy, but she had done it enough when he wasn't around. She continued with surprising candor, "You don't think it's been easy behaving myself around Tommy, do you?"

"I--I suppose not," Adam agreed, grinning shyly.

Kim let out a slow, relieved breath. Things were going to be all right. She noticed that his attention had wandered over the edge of the cliff; when she looked, she saw Kat stretching out and heading back towards camp.

"She is very pretty, isn't she," Kim said softly.

"Uh huh."

Kim gently tousled his hair. "One of these days you should tell her that."

"Yeah, maybe," Adam sighed wistfully.

"Tell you what, why don't I head back and let you compose yourself," Kim offered.

"Okay," Adam accepted gratefully. Then a frown darkened his face. "You said Rocky told you I was up here?"

"Yes, he said you came up here to think," Kim answered.

"Why would he do that when he knew...?" Adam dismissed the thought with a sigh.

"I'll catch you back at camp," Kim said and finally took her leave.

As she made her way back to camp, Kimberly's embarrassment remained unabated, and her anger continued to grow. She reflected on Adam's words: why would he do that when he knew...? Rocky had known where Adam had gone, and evidently he knew what Adam had been up to. He deliberately sent her up there! The question was, who was he trying to set up: her or Adam?

Kim was absolutely livid by the time she returned to the worksite. She marched towards Rocky with purposeful strides.

"Did you find Adam?" Tommy queried and was surprised when she completely ignored him.

She glared at Rocky blackly, hands on hips. The others could almost feel her anger. "What the hell did you think you were doing?" she hissed. Rocky had the audacity to look surprised.

"Huh?"

"You knew he was up there; you knew what he was doing, didn't you?" Her voice was so low the others couldn't hear her.

Rocky tried to stifle a grin and failed.

"You bastard! He's your best friend; how could you do something so low?" Tears of anger and embarrassment closed Kim's throat. Without even thinking, Kim slapped Rocky. "Why don't you grow up!" she choked out. Then, she stormed off.

The other three stared after her in amazement, then, as one, they looked to Rocky who was gingerly rubbing his stinging cheek.

"Mind telling us what that was all about?" Tommy prompted sternly. He had never known Kim to strike anyone in anger... especially not a friend.

"I--I don't know," Rocky fumbled, still clearly shocked.

"Rocky, what did you do?" Billy queried.

"Adam went up there to ogle Kat while she washed the gunk out of her hair," Rocky replied.

"So you sicced Kim on him? Why?" Tanya wondered.

"I don't know... I just...." A glib response failed Rocky in the face of his friends' united anger.

"Something happened up there to set Kim off ...." Tommy began hotly.

" ... and something tells me you had better go locate Adam and find out what it was," Tanya ordered, pointing off towards the hill imperiously.

"I think you're right," Rocky mumbled, still feeling the hot imprint of Kim's hand.

~*~

Rocky was only half way up the slope when he came across Adam. His friend glared at him darkly, and Rocky knew he had really messed up.

"Uh, Adam...." he began uncertainly. He had seen Adam look this angry only once, and at the time he had been grateful Adam hadn't been mad at him.

"What happened to your face?" Adam asked coldly.

"Kim slapped me."

"She--what?" That shook Adam.

"What did I do? What happened?"

"Why'd you send Kim up here? I never sent her looking for you when I knew you were gawking at the girls."

"I don't know... I guess... I didn't mean anything by it; it was just supposed to be a joke."

"Some joke," Adam mumbled forbiddingly.

Rocky bristled at that; he hated feeling so defensive--especially with Adam, and his temper got the better of him. "What's with you lately? All you do is hang around with Tanya and Kat; ever since Kat broke up with Tommy, you spend all your time making goo-goo eyes at her. Geez, you'd think you had a crush on her or something!"

"I do," Adam said quietly.

"Oh, come on; you can't be serious. You couldn't have fallen for her so quickly, and you never said anything about liking her before...."

"I couldn't because she liked Tommy."

"You mean it? You really have a thing for Kat?"

"Since we first met her."

"Why didn't you tell me!" Rocky burst out, feeling more hurt and left out than he had before. The fact that Adam hadn't confided in him.... "I thought we were best friends."

Adam was beginning to understand why Rocky had pulled his little stunt. He was feeling neglected. Adam sighed. He supposed he had been spending a lot of time with Kat; it was just that she was needing the support right now. Why couldn't Rocky understand that?

"We are best friends, Rocky," Adam answered him at last. "I didn't tell you because I didn't want anyone else to know."

"I wouldn't have told," Rocky mumbled subduedly. How could Adam think he'd betray a friend's trust?

"Not intentionally, but somehow, things have a way of slipping out. Remember when I had that crush on Lilly in the Fourth Grade?"

"Oh."

Rocky remembered. Adam had told him about Lilly, and in his surprise, he had blurted out, "You like Lilly Johnson?" and the entire playground heard. Adam had been so embarrassed and hurt, and Rocky had felt like a jerk for doing that to his bashful friend. That was the last time Rocky recalled Adam being seriously pissed at him... until today.

"Look, Adam, I'm really sorry."

"I know; I'll get over being embarrassed about the time you get over being slapped by Kim," Adam said with a rueful grin.

"Man, she hits hard," Rocky groaned.

"At least she didn't try punching you."

"I can't figure out what got her--what got both of you--so upset," Rocky confessed.

"Kim didn't say anything about what happened?"

"Uh, uh. She just chewed me out for being immature then whap! and off she went." Adam didn't reply, and Rocky found his silence and obvious uneasiness puzzling. Then, something clicked. "All you were doing was a little harmless spying, right?"

"Um, actually, I was doing a little bit more than that," Adam admitted awkwardly.

"Oh?" Rocky regarded him questioningly. What in the world did Adam mean...? "Oh." He felt his cheeks get hot. "Don't tell me you were...."

"Uh huh."

"And Kim saw...?"

"Uh huh."

"Man, if I were you, I'd be pissed at me, too."

"Come on, let's get back to the others so you can apologize to Kimberly," Adam suggested resignedly. It just wasn't in him to stay mad at Rocky.

~*~

The day was unusually still, and the waters of the lake were so calm the shimmering surface looked like a mirror. The seven teens welcomed calm waters as they paddled their way across the narrow stretch; if only things had been so tranquil for the team. It had only taken two additional days since the 'prank' (as the incident was being called) to find enough material to finish their craft. None of the three would enlighten the others as to what had happened, and although Rocky had apologized to Kim and had been on his best behavior, she still wasn't talking to him.

"Man, I hope we get across this lake fast," Rocky murmured, pausing in his stroke to clear his eyes. "The way the sun is reflecting off all this water, we are going to be thoroughly roasted once we get across."

"I have plenty of those aloe-pod things," Kim retorted sharply. How had she gotten stuck on the same side of the raft with Rocky?

"They work well on sunburns, I can vouch for that," Rocky countered, trying to keep it light.

"Ease up on him, Kim," Adam whispered as he moved over to spell Kim in the rowing rotation. They wanted to make certain no one became too exhausted since they had no idea how long the crossing would take. "After all, he did apologize."

"How can you let him off the hook so easily?" Kim wondered.

"He didn't think I'd be...." Adam blushed brightly as he floundered for the right words. "... doing anything... you know? Besides, this wasn't the worst thing he's ever done to me."

"Oh, really?"

"Well, I can't think of anything else at the moment, but I'm sure he's had to do something more awful than this."

"All right, if you say so," Kim sighed. When she recalled how frantic Rocky had been when Adam had his run-in with the snake, it was hard to believe that he would deliberately be so mean to Adam. It was only supposed to have been a harmless prank. If Adam could forgive him, she didn't need to continue making a big deal out of it.

"Ready for a break?" Billy queried of Tanya.

"Gladly," she sighed, handing over her paddle. She rubbed her aching shoulders. "It's been forever since I've been canoeing."

"Tommy, why don't you grab a rest," Kat said. He had already pulled a double turn.

"I won't say no to that. Thanks."

As everyone settled into their places and found their rowing cadence, Billy found himself regarding the lake anxiously. He had never been overly fond of water; however, his ichthyophobia no longer troubled him as it once did. Even so, after observing the size of the aquatic life inhabiting the lake, he was not surprised to discover a small twinge of his former fear.

The steady rhythm and the stillness had a lulling effect on the Rangers. The three not presently rowing dozed towards the center of the raft, and the other four were becoming mesmerized by the steady beat of their efforts.

"I just thought of something," Rocky piped up, startling everybody.

"I'm afraid to ask," Tanya groaned.

"Have any of you seen 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea?"

"I have read the novel and found it amusingly inaccurate," Billy responded.

"Why do you ask?" Kat queried.

"I was just thinking about the part where the giant squid grabs the Nautilus and...."

"Thank you for bringing that up," Adam complained. "Now you'll have me thinking about sea monsters lurking down there waiting to grab us."

"What about Pinocchio? You know, when Monstro swallows everything," Kim chimed in.

"Yeah, that's right...!"

" ... or Jaws," Tommy supplied.

" ... The Poseidon Adventure," Kat added.

"Don't start assigning us roles again," Tanya warned. Gilligan's Island had been bad enough.

"Oh, why not? Let's see... Pinocchio would be the easiest. Billy could be Jiminy Cricket--he was the one with the most sense in the movie...."

"Great, now I'm an insect," Billy harrumphed good-naturedly.

"Um, Kat could be the Blue Fairy... she was a good looking blonde," Rocky continued, cheerfully ignoring the others' groans. "Adam could be Pinocchio... you know, kind of innocent, and he thought the fairy was awful cute...."

"I am going to kill you," Adam hissed under his breath.

"... and you'd be Monstro because you eat everything that gets in front of your huge mouth," Tanya smirked. Rocky raised a leering eyebrow at her.

"Don't even think it," she threatened.

"Who? Moi?"

While the Rangers were having a good laugh at their teammate's expense, their attention drifted away from the placid waters. As their animated conversation continued, under the sapphire surface shadows loomed. Tiny waves rippled across the formerly calm, mirror-bright basin. Slowly, sinuously, it rose from the depths with movements that scarcely disturbed the water. So fluid, so silent was the creature that none was aware of its presence until a questing coil reached out as if in search. It found unsuspecting prey.

~*~

Billy shook his head and turned his attention back to rowing as Rocky struggled to find parts for all seven of them in Disney's animated motion picture. Kimberly had been cast as Cleo, and Rocky selected Figaro for himself. Tommy was vociferously protesting being cast as Lampwick--whoever that was; Billy was not well versed in children's cartoons. As he dipped the paddle into the water anew, he noticed movement beneath the surface. Curious and concerned, Billy peered over the edge of the raft to see if he could get a better look.

"What the...?"

"Billy, look out!" Kim screamed as a pale pink tentacle rose up out of the water and wrapped itself around the former Blue Ranger.

"Help!" Billy cried as he was hauled into the air. He winced. The grip was excruciatingly tight, and instead of suction cups, the underside of the tentacle was lined with sharp spines that bit into his midsection painfully.

"Billy!" Kat shouted as she lunged forward to catch Billy's hand to try and pull him back. She was nearly hauled off the raft with him.

"Kat, no!" Billy warned her away even as he clutched for the offered aid.

"Kat, no!" Adam echoed, diving across the raft to keep her from being pulled away; he grabbed her midsection and tried to brace himself.

"Don't everybody go rushing to the left side of the raft; we'll tip over!" Rocky yelped as the overbalanced craft listed alarmingly.

"But we have to do something!" Kim gasped.

"He's right, Kim," Tommy agreed. "If the raft goes over, Kat and Adam have no chance of getting Billy back."

"Uh, guys, I think we have troubles of our own," Tanya pointed out as more tentacles emerged from the murky depths.?

"Gross!" Kim squeaked as she brandished Adam's discarded paddle like a baseball bat, knocking away a questing appendage.

"I thought octopuses only had eight arms!" Rocky grunted as he, too, batted at a limb, having counted at least a dozen different tentacles.

"It's octopi," Tanya corrected as she battled a couple of arms.

"This is not the time for a vocabulary lesson!"

On the other side of the rocking raft, the tug-of-war continued.

"Adam, try and grab his other hand," Kat suggested, straining with all her might to pry Billy loose.

"I can't; if I let you go, we'll lose you too," Adam countered.

Billy tried frantically to work himself loose, but the spines were barbed as well as razor sharp. Every movement caused the tiny hooks to tear his flesh.

"Guys, let me go! This thing is ripping me apart!" The only thing Adam and Kat were doing was keeping him from being dragged under the water.

"No, Billy, just hang on!" Adam shouted.

While the Rangers battled the flailing limbs, four more tentacles split the surface. These arms were as thick as three of the others, and instead of tiny spines, they were dotted with menacing thorn-like protrusions.

"Look out!" Billy cried in warning, but it was too late.

All eyes glanced upwards as the combatants felt a shadow looming over them. There was nothing anyone could do as the massive appendage came crashing down on the raft, splintering it into tiny pieces.

Chapter Fourteen: New Beginning

Kimberly flung her arms out and gratefully embraced the reeds lining the shore. If she had the energy she probably would have kissed the ground. A sob of relief burst forth from her throat, only to be disrupted as she coughed up the water she had swallowed. With a groan, she rolled over, staring up at the darkening sky.

How long was I out there? she wondered. It had been past midday when they had shoved off from the western shore; now the sun was setting. She closed her eyes as memories crashed over her in violent waves.

Tentacles... looming... smashing... a frantic gasp of breath, and then the darkness of the water. Slowly she sank... deeper... air running out... lungs burning... the pressure.... Tommy where are you...? She had been drowning, her thoughts blurring as she ran out of air. She thought she had been imagining things when she felt a gentle push at her back... felt herself rising until she broke the surface with a hungry gasp for air. Reacting on instinct, Kim had reached for the nearest piece of debris and weakly kicked towards shore. She wouldn't have made it but for the strong pull of the current as water rushed into the river delta; she would have plunged headlong down the river but for a branch that bumped her into the grass choking the shoreline.

Kim felt sleepy, exhausted; however, concern for her teammates forced her to move. Scanning the shore to the north and south, she saw that she was the only one thus far to have been washed ashore. She climbed up a large boulder near the mouth of the river. Her heart pounded as she narrowed her eyes, trying to focus on the debris tossed about by the waves. The others had to be out there somewhere! They all couldn't have.... She refused to think it. Then, she spied something far out; it looked like a lumpy bit of wood with foaming water in its wake. Kim's face lit with a smile as she realized that the lumps were heads and the churning water was generated by two people kicking for shore.

"Rocky! Tanya!" Kim cried out gleefully, waving frantically to catch their attention. The two returned the wave and renewed their efforts at swimming ashore. Once they were close enough, Kim waded out to help them.

"I never thought I'd be so happy to see you!" Kim gushed as she joyfully hugged Rocky.

"Land!" Rocky exclaimed, and when Kim released him, he dropped to his knees and kissed the ground.

"Would you believe I'm tempted to do the same thing," Tanya sighed.

"I nearly did, too," Kim confessed.

"Has anyone else made it to shore?"

"Not that I can tell."

"Hey, you two, I think I see someone else!" Rocky piped up.

"Who?" Kim asked eagerly, praying that it was....

"Tommy, I think," Rocky answered. "Yo, Tommy... that you?"

The swimmer waved in reply.

"Thank God," Kim sighed. She had been so scared that... however, her relief was fleeting as she saw the corrugated ridge of an enormous dorsal fin split the water's surface. "Tommy, look out!"

Her warning was a second too late. The three watched, horrified, as Tommy turned just as the scaled behemoth leaped out of the water, mouth agape.

"NO!" Kim shrieked, lunging forward as he and the fish vanished beneath the waves.

"Kim, don't!" Tanya said, grabbing an arm.

Rocky latched on to the other and helped hold her back. "Kim, you can't reach him."

"I have to try and help...!"

"There's nothing you can do."

"That fish is probably long gone."

However, the water where Tommy went under continued bubbling and frothing, as if a great contest boiled beneath the waves. The trio held their collective breath. Slowly, the churning water calmed.

"No...." Kim gulped. Then, a figure burst out of the water and made for shore. "Tommy!"

Rocky and Tanya didn't even try to hold her back this time as Kim splashed out into the lake. Ignoring her fatigue, she waded out as far as she could then swam to meet Tommy. Her enthusiastic greeting threatened to sink the both of them.

"I thought you were that thing's dinner for sure!" she babbled.

"So did I," he responded breathlessly. "Luckily, I didn't taste so good."

"At the moment, you don't smell too good, either," Kim teased, wrinkling her nose.

"What do you expect? I'm covered with fish spit."

"Ew, gross!" Then, she paused thoughtfully. "I didn't know fish had spit."

"You...." Tommy threatened playfully and kissed her. Neither had the strength for anything more. The pair grabbed hold of a remnant of their raft and floated to shore.

"Have you guys seen Billy, Adam and Kat?" Tommy queried as he dragged himself out of the water, collapsing gratefully on the ground.

"Not a sign," Tanya sighed.

"Last I saw, Billy was still wrapped up in that tentacle," Rocky added.

"Maybe they washed up farther down shore," Tommy speculated. The quartet marshaled their energy to begin their search. They headed closer to the mouth of the river; with the force of the current, it was the most logical place to start.

"Hey, that looks like our tarp," Rocky declared. He waded into the reeds and extracted a bundle tangled in the grasses. Sure enough, it was their all-purpose canvas.

"I think I see the supply sack," Tanya added. A few yards from Rocky's position, she found the long-strapped carryall. She did a quick inventory. "We didn't lose too much--the skins with the willow bark extract and the leaf sap are still here. Some of the aloe-pods made it. The cocoons and bandages are gone, though. I think the flint is, too."

"We can replace most of that stuff," Tommy murmured.

"What do you know; the comb survived," Rocky observed, peering into the pouch as well.

"None of that helps us find Billy and the others," Kim said morosely. She wandered to the edge of the bank, watching the water as it angrily surged into the narrow channel. It was a slim possibility... especially since Billy had been firmly in the grip of the creature.... Kim looked downstream with a shudder; jutting rocks turned the flowing stream into a treacherous stretch of rapids, while downed trees and branches clogged the stretches devoid of the dangerous boulders. If the others had been swept down the river, it was likely they would have been pounded into a pulp. Kim shivered at the thought.

"Let's find a way across the river and start searching the southern shore," Tommy suggested, drawing Kim's attention away from the rapids.

"What makes you think they might have wound up on the south shore?" Tanya queried.

Kim cast a final glance downstream; as she turned to give Tommy her full attention, she paused, her eyes catching a flicker of something pale and pink.

"Wait a minute," she murmured, starting down the bank.

"What is it?" Tommy wondered.

"I see something snared in that huge branch...." Kim gestured to the limb in question.

"One of the others?" Tanya asked hopefully.

"Let's find out," Rocky said.

The four hurried along the bank. It soon became obvious that the pale form was....

"Billy!" Kim gasped, finally able to catch a glimpse of his face.

From somewhere deep within, they summoned the energy to break into a run. Tommy and Rocky splashed into the water, fighting the current in order to reach their comrade.

"Is he breathing?" Tanya called out.

"Turn him over and clear his mouth," Rocky directed, his lifeguard training taking over.

"Shouldn't we get him to shore first?" Tommy wondered as he complied.

"We may not have time," Rocky answered grimly. "If you can hold him, I can start...."

"While I appreciate the offer, I am not presently in need of... resuscitation," Billy moaned, coughing up a bit of water.

"Billy, you're all right!" Kim chirped with relief.

"I'm.... alive."

"Hmpf! I bet he would've played along if one of the girls had offered him mouth to mouth," Rocky snorted, elbowing Tommy in the side, unable to resist the joke. Tommy glared back at him in disbelief.

"Well, since he doesn't need your help, how about getting up here so I can offer mine," Kim snapped, her obvious relief taking the sting out of her retort.

Rocky and Tommy gently draped Billy's arms across their shoulders and eased him out of the water; however, as the air touched his wounded abdomen, Billy bit back an agonized cry.

"Good Lord," Tanya gasped.

"Hand me the sap and see if you can unstitch a section of the tarp," Kim ordered. She met the boys as they reached the bank and helped ease Billy to the ground.

"Why don't I give Tanya a hand," Rocky offered.

"Geezus, Billy, you're a mess," Kim muttered, fighting the urge to panic. The punctures ranged from tiny pin pricks to deep gouges.

"... not as bad as Tommy...." Billy essayed, trying to focus beyond the pain.

"No, but some of these may require stitches." She continued probing gently. "None of the wounds seem warm. Billy, have you noticed any nausea or chills or...?"

"... other symptoms of poisoning? Negative."

That was a relief. They had precious little sap left. Uncorking the skin containing the diluted liquid, Kim glanced up meaningfully at Tommy. "This is probably going to sting like all get out."

Tommy nodded, understanding what she was asking of him: distract her patient. "Man, Billy, how'd you get away from that mutant octopus?"

"Would you believe... I was saved by a fish?"

Kim and Tommy traded wide-eyed looks. They both knew of Billy's former fear.

"No way."

Billy grimaced as Kim carefully dabbed at his greater wounds. "Once the raft was demolished, I was pulled under for what I thought was the final time. It was so dark, yet I could see my abductor with unusual clarity--well, at least its extremities. The lack of oxygen and the rapidly dropping temperature made it difficult to focus. However, I remember a flash of gold... some kind of fish was swimming amid the writhing limbs." Pain flared, and Billy sucked in a sharp breath.

"What sort of fish?" Tommy prompted, trying to keep Billy talking.

"A prehistoric swordfish," Billy quipped, "although it's dorsal fin more closely resembled that of a sailfish."

"Don't tell me; let me guess. This jumbo swordfish cut the tentacle right off," Rocky interjected, handing Kim the section of tarp.

"Precisely." Already Billy could feel the numbing action of the salve as Kim bandaged his midsection. With the pain dulled to a minor discomfort, he felt himself giving way to his exhaustion.

"What about Kat and Adam?" Tanya queried.

"They still had a hold of me," Billy continued, fighting sleep for the moment. "We regained the surface somehow... perhaps dragged along by the swordfish... just enough to catch our breath. Then, we were sucked under... caught up in a whirlpool... it tore the tentacle away. We tried to hang on... to each other.... The last I recall was seeing them swept down stream...."

"That's enough for now, Billy. Get some rest," Kim said.

"He can't sleep now; we have to go after Adam and Kat," Rocky insisted. "You heard him; they got sucked down the river!"

"Rocky, he needs the sleep," Kim chided.

"And so do the rest of us," Tommy added, yawning.

"But...."

"Rocky, you can barely stand," Tanya pointed out, eyeing him as he swayed unsteadily. "None of us is in any shape to go searching for them."

"They could be hurt."

"We have to trust that they made it downstream all right," Kim said gently. "We won't do them any good by looking for them in the shape we're in. We're liable to hurt ourselves. Billy said they were together, and you know Kat is a strong swimmer."

"Why don't we grab a couple of hours of sleep," Tommy recommended. "The sky is clear, and the moons are almost full. It'll be almost as bright as day; we'll mount our search as soon as we wake up. All right?"

"I guess you're right," Rocky admitted grudgingly.

"They'll be fine," Tanya assured him, patting his arm consolingly.

"Let's find a place to make camp and try to start a fire," Tommy said.

~*~

Adam struggled to pull himself up onto the slippery rock; he had begun to think that he was never going to stop tumbling around in the water. He sprawled out, grateful for the respite, and gulped in deep draughts of air. His entire body felt like one big bruise. He was surprised to notice that the sky overhead was tinged with the pinkish-orange hues of sunset. Had it been that long? Clouds were beginning to roll in.

He forced himself to sit up, trying to clear his thoughts. His memories of what happened under the water were too fuzzy; it didn't really matter, he supposed. The important thing was that he, Billy and Kat had....

Billy! Kat!

Fully alert, Adam looked about for his companions. They had all been sucked into the river together, but Billy had been swept away while he and Kat continued to be tumbled about in the rapids. Adam's heart sank. He and Kat had been clinging to each other.... He couldn't remember losing his hold on her... where was she?

"Kat!" he shouted, praying that she was somewhere nearby. He didn't know what he would do if she had been swept further downstream. Adam frantically scanned the banks; she could have been snagged by roots or fallen branches in dozens of places. Downstream and to his left, Adam thought he saw a flash of white wedged between two rocks--and it wasn't whitecaps on the water. Wading through the rush of water and fighting to keep his balance, he made his way to the cluster of stones. Relief washed through him as he caught a glimpse of pale blonde hair--until he realized that Kat was unmoving, face down in the water.

"No!" Adam gasped, splashing clumsily to her side. He hoisted her out of the water, draping her over his shoulder so that any water she had breathed in would be forced out. Adam couldn't have said how he managed to navigate the treacherous, slippery rocks, but he quickly clambered on to the riverbank and laid Kat out.

Don't panic; just remember what Rocky taught you, Adam told himself as he brushed the long strands of hair out of Kat's face. ...head back... pinch the nose closed... breathe....

Adam felt funny giving Kat the first breath; it was almost like kissing her. He would have been more nervous if it hadn't been a life or death situation. Didn't someone once say that mouth-to-mouth was the kiss of life? However, after several attempts, Kat had not responded, and Adam's fear mounted.

"Come on, Kat," he pleaded between breaths. "I can't lose you... not without telling you...." He continued forcing air into her lungs. He was so intent on his actions that he didn't notice that his patient had drawn a breath on her own or that she was starting to come around.

"A-Adam? I...." Kat began weakly and was promptly cut off as Adam's mouth descended on hers for another breath. Startled by the unexpected kiss, she started struggling, trying to push him away.

"Kat!" Adam gulped, feeling her resistance. He smiled down into her puzzled blue eyes. "You're all right!"

"Adam, what were you...?" To Kat's immense surprise, Adam wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly.

"You're all right," he repeated.

"I think so," Kat murmured, weakly returning the embrace. "Where are we? What happened?" As Adam pulled away to answer her, Kat gave a tiny gasp.

"What?" Adam wondered.

"You're forehead." Kat reached up and gingerly touched the ugly wound along his hairline. When she pulled her fingers back, the tips were covered with blood.

"I must have hit my head on a rock," Adam replied. He hadn't noticed the injury before, but now he was aware of the dull, throbbing ache. "What about you?"

"I'm weak and a little woozy, but I think I'm fine otherwise." Kat tried to sit up and nearly toppled over again.

"Just take it easy for a little bit," Adam advised, helping her.

"Where is everyone else?" Kat wondered.

"Upstream, I think." Adam told her what he could of their rough ride.

"What do we do now?"

"I'm pretty sure Billy saw that we were headed downstream. Once the others find him, they'll come looking for us, so the best thing for us to do is stay put."

"Will the others find him?"

"We were the only ones caught in the whirlpool; I bet the others had to swim to shore. They'll find Billy." Adam tried to project more confidence than he felt. A low rumbling overhead had the two looking skyward. "I guess we should find some shelter before the storm hits."

"As if we weren't wet enough already," Kat joked wryly.

"Come on," Adam said as he helped her to her feet.

At first, the two did not see any likely prospects; however, as they wandered downstream, they came across some rather unusual trees. The trunks were almost completely smooth and straight, and the lowest branches were more than twice Adam's height above the ground. What had caught the Rangers' attention were the roots; it was almost as if the ground beneath the trees had been washed away, leaving the braided tangles exposed.

"In a way, they remind me of cypress trees," Adam murmured as he inspected one of the larger specimens. On hands and knees, he worked his way into the space under the trunk. "Well, we couldn't stand in here, and there wouldn't be a lot of room to spare, but if we place some branches over the larger gaps between the roots, we should be able to keep dry for the night."

"Sounds wonderful to me," Kat agreed.

With branches and mud, the two patched the walls of their shelter then wearily collapsed inside.

"It's too bad we don't have a fire," Kat murmured, shivering.

Instinctively, Adam draped his arm across her shoulders. "I know, but we'll just have to make do." Kat snuggled in closer, grateful for the body heat.

Outside, the thunder grew louder. The two glimpsed the flare of lightning through the cracks in their haven. One particularly loud crash made Kat yelp and press even more closely against Adam.

"It's okay, Kat," Adam assured her, absently stroking her hair in an effort to calm her.

"I'm sorry; normally, storms don't bother me. I guess I'm just a little jumpy right now," she replied.

Another thunderous roar and it was Adam's turn to jump and cling to his companion.

"I guess I am, too," he admitted sheepishly.

The two had just begun to relax when a blinding flash of lightning lit the shadows of their shelter, and the resultant blast of thunder shook the tree, causing them both to clap their hands over their ears. Beyond the roots, the two heard something crash to the ground.

"Oh wow," Adam murmured.

"I hope the others aren't out in this looking for us," Kat added.

"Hey, do you smell that?" Both sniffed at the air.

"Something's burning!" Kat exclaimed.

"We'd better check it out," Adam said.

Lightning had indeed felled a tree; however, the burning hardwood had tumbled into the river. As the current began carrying the flaming timber off, Adam hurried over to the tree before it could be completely washed away.

"Adam, what are you doing?" Kat called after him.

"We now have a fire," he announced, proudly holding up the burning bit of branch he had torn loose.

~*~

Dulcea sighed and slumped back in her seat, exhausted from her efforts. Fortunately, Amadan had already summoned the storm, else she would not have been able to call the lightning down to provide both groups of Rangers with the warmth they needed. She had already stretched her abilities to the limit in summoning the denizens of the lake to counter Amadan's attack by the krahkkon. She felt her anger flare; how could he have arranged for such a fearsome beast to do his bidding? Even the Scaravid sorcerers could not control the monsters they had created. She had been fortunate that the Dactanian blade fish was a natural born enemy of the krahkkon. It only took the merest suggestion that it should deprive the multi-armed nightmare of its prey to get the deep dweller to interfere.

"Sleep well, former Blue Ranger, for I am far from through with you," Amadan glowered, his voice echoing from his chambers down the empty corridors.

The Master Warrior of Phaedos frowned, her green eyes flashing with dangerous sparks. Amadan had to be stopped; his interference had gone too far. If he could summon and control the razor-scaled irridia and the krahkkon, there would be no limiting his further machinations, and Dulcea wondered how much longer she would be able to aid Zordon's charges. Amadan's determination to protect the crystal has brought him to the brink of madness; there is no telling what he will do in his obsession. I fear for you, Rangers. May the Power protect you all.

~*~

Kat sighed contentedly and shifted to find a more comfortable position, snuggling deeper into the arms wrapped about her. It felt so good, being held like that, and for a moment, she dreamily wondered whose arms she was sleeping in. Then, memories of the previous evening drifted back to her. She was with Adam, down river, waiting for the others to find them.

I hope they don't come too early, she mused. Reluctantly, her eyelids flickered open, and she was somewhat surprised that she was cradled on Adam's lap, her head tucked under his chin. She couldn't remember doing that; all she recalled was huddling before their tiny fire side by side. Kat glanced up at her companion. He really is cute. Adam's curly black locks fell in his face, and his mouth was turned up in the slightest of grins. He has a nice smile. Almost without thinking, she reached up and gently touched his cheek.

What was she thinking? Kat drew her hand back, frowning. She had always liked Adam... he was such a sweetheart. He was always there when she needed a friend... kind, gentle... why hadn't she noticed that before? Because I was infatuated with Tommy, she chided herself. Once I laid eyes on those gorgeous eyes and that sweet body, I never even looked at anyone else, even though I knew he was taken. I foolishly kept hoping.... It was doomed from the start. Why couldn't I have fallen for someone like Adam instead?

It wasn't as if she had never noticed Adam; Tanya would often ask what she thought of him, giggle about that shy little-boy smile of his or the way he blushed so easily. Kat always assumed that Tanya was interested in Adam as something more than a friend and teammate, and yet, the two didn't seem to be a couple.

"I can't lose you... not without telling you...."

Telling me--what? Kat wondered as Adam's words came back to her. She had just regained consciousness, and his voice had been immediately followed by his mouth on hers. A tiny flower of an idea blossomed in her mind, and she quickly thought back over her encounters with Adam. From stepping forward with him in the cave to his trying to help her during the stampede... to his consoling and holding her as she cried over releasing Tommy, she realized that Adam had been there for her... always patient, always gentle and understanding....

"... you have to believe that there's someone out there who would like nothing better than to make you happy--someone who wants to love you the way you deserve to be loved."

Is that someone you, Adam Park? Kat queried, a bit tongue in cheek, but then she realized that that was exactly what Adam had meant. It was the only thing that made sense, and Kat felt a budding warmth inside.

"Kat?" Adam murmured.

Kat blushed. She had been gazing up at Adam distractedly, and she could feel the lopsided grin tugging at her lips. She simply felt so giddy. To know that he loved her.... Impulsively, Kat kissed him on the cheek. She grinned hugely as his eyes went wide and his cheeks reddened.

"W-what was that for?" he stammered.

"Thank you for caring so much," she responded.

"Huh?"

"Adam, how long have you had a crush on me?"

"How did you...?" he sputtered, too astonished to deny it. Even so, Adam looked completely panicked. "Tanya didn't say anything, did she?"

"Tanya?" Kat queried. Then, it clicked, and she laughed. "Tanya... all those times she asked me about you... it wasn't because she wanted to know for herself, was it? She was asking for you!"

Adam's cheeks turned a deeper scarlet, and he couldn't meet Kat's eyes.

"Adam, that's so sweet! All this time, I thought you and she were...."

"Tanya and I are just really close friends... like Aisha and I were," Adam explained.

"Tanya didn't say anything to me," Kat assured him. "I figured it out on my own."

"Yeah, well...." Adam fumbled.

"How long?" Kat asked again.

"S-since the first time I saw you in the park."

"Oh, Adam, I'm so sorry." She cupped his cheek in her palm, and tilted his face up so she could see his eyes.

"What for?"

"I never even realized.... It must have been awful for you, seeing me with Tommy."

"At times," Adam admitted, "but mostly, I just wanted you to be happy. I liked seeing you happy."

"I wish I hadn't been so blind," Kat sighed, looking away from the naked emotions in Adam's eyes.

"I don't understand."

"Then I wouldn't have hurt the both of us."

In the awkward silence that followed, the two suddenly realized that Kat was still seated on Adam's lap and his arms were still around her. She made no attempt to move, and he made no move to release her. They were content to remain as they were.

"Kat, I know it's probably too soon after your break up...."

"Adam, I know I've just broken up with Tommy...."

Their words spilled out in a simultaneous rush, and both smiled, seeming to know what the other wanted to say. Moments later, words weren't necessary as their lips met in a gentle kiss.

"Oh, wow," Adam gulped, a silly, love-struck smile lighting his face.

"Me too," Kat echoed, filled for the first time with a nervousness that was born of excitement rather than worry.

Emboldened by the emotions surging through them, they tried again, the warmth it created catching them both off guard. Shy smiles and nervous laughter passed between the two as their lips parted. Suddenly, Adam crushed Kat to him in a fierce hug.

"I can't believe it," he murmured. "This has got to be a dream."

"If it is, let's not wake up," Kat agreed.

However, reality came crashing into their dream world in the form of a snuffling, be-tusked snout and an angry growl at the doorway to their shelter. The two scrambled back as a pair of wickedly clawed feet probed between the roots.

"What is it?" Kat gasped.

"I don't know, but I don't think it's very happy with us," Adam muttered.

"Do you think maybe we usurped its den?"

"Who knows. Let's not stay and find out."

The two quickly punched their way through the makeshift walls and scurried out of their little haven. The porcine creature, however, was not satisfied that they had abandoned its nest. The quills along its spine stood on edge as it snorted and pawed at the ground. Kat and Adam slowly backed away.

"Easy, big fella," Kat cooed.

"We're going; we're going," Adam chimed in.

With a squeal of fury, the boar-like beast gave chase. The Rangers just as quickly turned and fled.

~*~

"Nothing," Kim hissed in frustration. She could not believe that they hadn't seen a single purple plant with orange blossoms anywhere along the river. The things grew practically everywhere, so why couldn't they find one now? Granted, Billy's wounds weren't life- threatening; the last of the salve had healed the larger injuries to a point where they were bearable, and they had the willow bark mixture for the pain, but still...! What if something more serious happened? What if Adam or Kat were injured?

Kicking angrily at a dirt clod, Kim started back towards the river. She had wandered a considerable distance in search of the medicinal plant. The others were supposed to be looking for traces of Kat and Adam. That quest had been as fruitless as her quest for the leaves. It was nearly midday, and they hadn't seen so much as a footprint.

"Kimberly?" Tommy's voice rang out from the vegetation. She heard the rustle of leaves as he approached. She must have been gone longer than she had thought for him to come looking for her. Since they had washed up along the river, he had been in leader mode. He scarcely had given her more than a smile since last evening. Of course with tending Billy's injuries and being so wiped out herself, she probably hadn't paid him much attention either.

"Over here," she called back.

"I was wondering where you had gotten to," Tommy said brightly as he emerged from the underbrush. He noticed Kim's gloomy expression. "What's wrong?"

"Did you guys find any traces of Adam and Kat?"

"Nothing yet."

"What about those purple leaves?"

"Not a one."

"Damn!"

"Kim?" Tommy reached for her, pulling her into a hug. Her body was taut and unyielding.

"You're upset about not finding one of those plants, aren't you?"

Kim nodded, fending off frustrated tears.

"I don't think we're going to find any in this stretch of the jungle," Tommy said.

"Why not?"

"Just a feeling. We've become pretty dependent on them; Amadan's not going to let that continue.

"What will we do? How will we treat our injuries?" Kim snapped. Tommy noticed a tree stump and guided Kim over to it. He took a seat then pulled her into the circle of his arms.

"We'll do what we did before we found them: make do with what we have. We have the willow bark, and we've replaced the lost needles and cocoon thread. There's plenty of stuff around to use for splints and bandages. We'll manage," he assured her.

Kim let out a long, slow sigh. She knew Tommy was right. "I suppose," she conceded reluctantly, her shoulders slumping as she hung her head.

"Hey, don't be like that. It'll be all right." Tommy tilted her chin up and smiled engagingly.

"I know." She leaned gratefully into the hug he offered. She had to admit, the embrace felt good. His hands slowly swept across her back in the lightest of caresses. "Mm!"

"Feels good?" he queried, easing his hand down the length of her spine.

"Definitely."

Tommy continued to lightly massage the tightness from her back. His touch was incredibly gentle, like a breeze skimming across her flesh; it soothed the body and warmed the spirit, igniting a fire--not the all consuming rush of passion their kisses engendered but a slow burn that sparked wherever his fingers brushed her skin and spread throughout her body until her whole being was alive with the gentle heat. Up her back, across her shoulders and down her arms... Kim easily melted under his caresses that were at once innocent and erotic. Her eyes grew heavy and her head fell forward to rest against his shoulders as another purr echoed up from deep within her.

Then, suddenly, there was nothing. Kim looked up to see Tommy regarding her with an unfathomable expression. She smiled encouragingly, wanting him to touch her again. She had never felt anything so exquisite. Tommy's hands on her shoulders drew her closer; her arms threaded around his neck, allowing herself to be pulled closer. Their lips met in a searing kiss, one less desperate than many they had shared of late but no less heated with their emotions. The exchange deepened, tongues probing languorously; neither pulled away, letting their passion run its course, seeing where the moment would take them.

Breathlessly, reluctantly, Tommy broke the embrace first. He held Kim's gaze with his own as he tenderly reached out to stroke her cheek. She placed her hand over his and nuzzled her face against his palm, placing a butterfly kiss in the cup of his hand. They shared a smile as Tommy resumed his stroke, gently caressing the side of her neck and continuing lower to her shoulder. Once again, his fingers lightly danced down her arm, slipping around to soothe the smooth underside. As his fingers delicately slipped down, they brushed the soft swell of the side of her breast.

Tommy paused, his fingertips resting against her softness, waiting to see if Kim would object. Her gaze was riveted to his hands, and she seemed to be holding her breath. Slowly, deliberately, he changed the course of his stroke. With great care, he cupped the underswell of her pliant mound and gave the gentlest of squeeze. Surprise and delight surged through him at the low moan that rose from Kim's throat. Still, it was with considerable nervousness that he continued his exploration, his hand shaking slightly.

A tremor of excitement rippled through Kim as Tommy's fingers patiently explored her breast. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the movement of his fingers, yet she was acutely aware of his excitement and sense of wonder, which rivaled her own. His sigh of pleasure mirrored the one she was trying to fight down. She could feel the sensations building within her and threatening to burst free as Tommy's questing fingers inexorably drew nearer to the hardened bud of her nipple. She yearned with all her might that he might touch the sensitive nub. She had been wanting him to touch her like this for so long! She held her breath in anticipation as his fingers circled closer....

"Oh!" she moaned, unable to contain it any longer as she felt the gentle pressure as he took her nipple between his fingers. A shudder violently tore through her as fire raced from the point of contact throughout the rest of her body. As he continued playing with the stone-hard nib, Kim's eyes closed, and her head tilted back as she lost herself in the tingling warmth spreading through her. She had only let Tommy touch her breasts once before--ages ago--through the safety of her clothing... it had felt good, but not like this!

While Tommy's right hand explored and excited her, his left hand held her in place. Now, with firm but gentle pressure, he pressed her closer. She yielded, her own hands pulling him towards her. Her fingers wandered up into his hair. Almost without thinking, she urged his head closer; she didn't quite realize what was happening until she felt the warm explosion of his breath against her quivering flesh. Seconds later, the warmth of his mouth and the soft wetness of his tongue enveloped her.

Kim moaned with helpless delight as Tommy suckled leisurely at her breast. His lips... his tongue...she had never felt anything so incredible! His silken hair tickling her skin... his hands skimming down her back to glide over the swell of her behind... the sounds of his muted moans... the scent of him... her senses reeled. In that moment, if she could have found her voice, she would have begged him to touch her, to taste her everywhere, but all she could manage was a needy whimper as Tommy drew back..

"T-Tommy?" she panted, trying to hide her disappointment. He merely smiled and his gaze flickered briefly to her other aching mound even as his head dipped in close again. Kim had a handful of his hair and eagerly guided him forward.

Oh God, what are we doing??

Suddenly, Kim pushed Tommy away, yet even as she did so, she wanted to pull him back. Her body ached with wanting him to touch her again, but her heart pounded with as much fear as desire.

"K-Kim?" Tommy queried, puzzled by her withdrawal. Although she had tried hard to hide it, she could tell that he had glimpsed her fear and uncertainty, just as she could now see the hurt which he tried to hide from her. Kim looked away guiltily.

Why does it have to be this way? Why can't I let go? I want to... oh, God, how I want to, but... I can't! What's wrong with me?

"I'm sorry...." she stammered, feeling the sting of tears. She thought to flee and yet her feet refused to move. She stood before Tommy, head bowed.

"What's wrong, Kim?" Tommy pursued. His hand clutched hers tightly.

Her gaze surreptitiously flickered over Tommy's body, lingering for a moment on his manhood. He looked to be as hard as she was wet. She wished she could do something to ease his excitement; she wished she could runaway and hide.

"I...." The words wouldn't come out. I don't know anymore. I'm just so confused....

"Yo, Tommy! Kim! Where are you guys?"

Relief flooded through Kim; for once she was grateful for the interruption.

"Over here, Rocky!" Kim called out. Then, she glanced back at Tommy. She read confusion, disappointment, and resignation in his expression.

"I'm sorry," she repeated softly.

Tommy didn't respond.

"All right, you two; cease and desist all mushy stuff. Ready or not, here I come!" Rocky hollered out as he charged through the brush.

"What's up, Rocko?" Tommy queried. To Kim, he sounded immensely tired.

"Tanya's found footprints," he announced exuberantly.

"Human footprints?"

"D'uh! Come on! Let's go find Adam and Kat!" With that, Rocky charged off, leaving Kim and Tommy to catch up.

Kim turned to follow, but Tommy still had hold of her hand.

"Tommy?" she asked. She didn't know what to make of his expression. "We should get going."

"I know," he sighed, but he made no move to get up from the stump. Kim regarded him

concernedly. Finally, he released her hand. "Go on; I'll catch up." She prompted him with a questioning gaze, and he smiled ruefully. "I need a couple of minutes...."

"Oh." Kim blushed furiously.

~*~

Kim slowly plodded along behind the others as they resumed their search in the early dawn light. The footprints Tanya had found the previous afternoon had led them to a shelter amid the roots of a cypress-like tree, and the hoof marks in the dirt told them that their friends hadn't abandoned their camp voluntarily. They had continued to follow the tracks until nightfall.

The evening had been perfectly miserable. Kim hadn't been able to bring herself to meet Tommy's eyes, and when it came time to sleep, Kim remained crouched by the fire instead of relaxing in the warm safety of Tommy's arms. It had been so lonely and miserable that she had eventually cried herself to sleep. The morning thus far hadn't been much better.

"Hey, Kim," Tanya said, dropping back to walk alongside her.

"Hey," she returned glumly.

"You want to talk about it?"

"About what?"

"Whatever it was that you and Tommy had the fight about."

"We didn't have a fight."

"Oh?"

Kim sighed. She wasn't sure if she could talk about her problems with Tanya, but she couldn't stand being estranged from Tommy, either.

"Have you ever had a boyfriend?" she began diffidently.

"One, since I came to Angel Grove, but the relationship was pretty short-lived," Tanya responded.

"Did you have one back in Kenya?"

"Ngoma," Tanya said with a wistful sigh. "We had grown up together. I was the song; he was the dance. We complimented each other so well...."

"What happened?"

"The tune changed; the harmony was gone."

Kim wished Tanya would be a little more forthcoming, but she could understand why the other young woman wouldn't want to discuss it. "I'm sorry."

"Was there any reason why you wanted to know?"

"When you were with Ngoma, did you ever wonder what it would be like for him to touch you--intimately?" Kim asked in a rush, lowering her eyes.

Tanya smiled with understanding. "Did I ever! He was absolutely gorgeous."

"What was it like for you? Was it really powerful, like you couldn't help yourself?"

"It was a lot of things: confusing, scary, exciting... sometimes, I didn't know what it was I wanted. I just knew that I wanted something... wanted him so badly it hurt."

"Me, too," Kim whispered.

"I take it something like that happened between you and Tommy yesterday," Tanya said kindly.

"It's been happening a lot lately," Kim confessed, "and I don't know what to do about it."

"Do you want to do anything about it?"

"Yes," Kim declared, startled by the definitiveness of her answer. She hadn't even thought before speaking, but she knew it was the truth.

"Then what's the problem? Doesn't Tommy...?"

"Definitely. It's just... I can't seem to let myself go, and I don't know why."

"Scared?"

"I guess."

"It's only natural. Having sex is a pretty big step--at any age. Before you do anything, be sure it's what you want. Be real sure, especially if you've never done it before. You can never have another first time." Tanya's voice trailed of thoughtfully for a moment, then she continued. "Don't sleep with someone if you just think you love them; it won't be right unless there are some real feelings there. Although, I don't think you and Tommy have anything to worry about." Tanya grinned. "I don't think I've ever seen two people as in love as you guys."

Kim blushed. "It just seems so soon. We've just gotten back together."

"Not really. The whole time you were apart, you never stopped loving each other, right?"

"Right." Kim sighed. "I just wish I knew why I'm so scared. I mean, when we get started, it seems so right... it feels so good, but then something happens. I get caught up in the feelings... the sensations.... It's like I'm helpless to do anything...."

"... and you hate feeling helpless," Tanya concluded, "so you start fighting, trying to regain control, only you can't. The only thing to do is retreat."

"That's it exactly!" Kim exclaimed.

"Kim, you can't always control things... especially when it comes to emotions. And with this, you're not exactly helpless. Overwhelmed perhaps, but not helpless. You have options. You can either back away, like you've been doing, or you can accept what you're feeling and see where it takes you. And to do that, you have to be willing to trust yourself--and Tommy."

"Trusting Tommy is the easy part," Kim murmured. "I'm just so tired of being afraid."

"What do you usually do when you're afraid?"

"Like with my gymnastics, if there's a move I'm afraid of, I just force myself to face my fear and do it... to show myself that it isn't so bad."

Tanya's expression seemed to say, 'well?'

"But sometimes, that's not always easy," Kim continued, thinking specifically of her claustrophobia. The only time she ever confronted that was when Rocky needed her, and she still didn't know if she had won that battle with herself or not.

"Does Tommy know about any of this?" Tanya asked suddenly.

Kim's eyes flickered up to where Tommy had the point. She could tell by the set of his shoulders that he was upset. "No," she admitted guiltily.

"You should talk to him about this. Knowing Tommy, he probably thinks that he's done something wrong," Tanya recommended. "Who knows, maybe he's feeling the same things you are and you can both help each other out."

Kim nodded. "Thanks, Tanya."

Tanya gave her a small hug. "It's okay; I know what you're going through."

"Did you and Ngoma ever do anything--about what you were feeling?" Kim wondered. "If you did, how did you know it was the right thing to do?"

Tanya was silent for a long while. When she spoke, there was a faraway note in her voice. "I didn't know... I was only sixteen. I thought we loved each other, but it was only infatuation." She laughed sharply. "There's more real feeling between me and Rocky than there ever really was between me and Ngoma."

Tanya drifted back to her former place in the column, and it was only after she was gone that Kim realized she never really answered her question.

~*~

"How far could they have wandered?" Rocky grumbled as the two sets of tracks seemed to go on forever. "They had to have stopped to rest somewhere."

"Maybe they had no choice," Billy suggested.

Tommy said nothing, his mind seemingly absorbed on the task at hand. The present and former Blue Rangers exchanged glances, wondering if they should attempt to draw Tommy out of his funk.

"I don't know which is worse: them not being together at all and wanting to or them being together and having a fight," Rocky muttered.

"I prefer the second option; their animosity never lasts long. It is merely awkward until they come to their senses."

As if on cue, Kimberly tapped Billy on the shoulder. "Guys, would you--um--mind trading places with me?"

"Not at all," Billy acquiesced, smiling.

"Just keep the mush to a minimum, okay? I don't want to lose my breakfast," Rocky said teasingly as he and Billy made way for her. "Good luck."

"Thanks, guys."

Kim stole up behind Tommy quietly. Soon, she was keeping pace with his long, purposeful strides--which wasn't easy.

"Hey, Tommy," she began quietly, casting him an anxious, sideways glance.

"Kim." Tommy looked back over his shoulder and seemed satisfied that Rocky and Billy had dropped back a ways.

"About what happened yesterday...." Kim began.

"... I shouldn't have gotten so carried away...."

"You weren't the only one." She finally felt brave enough to meet his eyes and saw surprise therein. "It felt so good... you have such a wonderful touch.... I've never felt anything like that before...."

"If you enjoyed it so much, why did you stop? Why were you so scared? You know I wouldn't force you to do anything you didn't want to do."

"It's not that, Tommy. You didn't do anything wrong. It's me. For some reason, when we get close like that, I just freeze up. I'm frightened by the power of the things I'm feeling; it's almost like I can't resist them."

"I know. It's kind of like that with me. It sometimes feel like I'm being forced... like I'm under a spell or something. But it has nothing to do with magic. It's just how I feel about you. I love you, and it's the most wonderful thing I've ever felt, and I don't want to resist it."

"I don't want to either. I guess I'm just scared of letting go."

"You don't have to be scared, Kim. I'm here for you." Tommy reached out his hand.

Kim took it and squeezed tightly. "I know."

Behind them, their friends smiled.

"This doesn't make sense," Tommy mumbled as the five followed the trail into a copse of trees a while later. "The tracks just disappear."

"Maybe the ground wasn't soft enough," Rocky ventured as he poked about the clearing, being careful not to obscure any traces that their friends might have left.

"Maybe the ground wasn't safe enough," Kim interjected. As one, the five peered up into the thick branches overhead. "Give me a boost, Tommy."

"Sure."

With Tommy's help, Kim clambered up onto a branch. She carefully inched across until she reached the apex of limb and bole. A smile tugged at her lips.

"Well?" Rocky called up.

"Sh!" Kim directed, motioning for the others to join her.

The others climbed up and found Kat and Adam snuggled cozily in the 'Y' of the branches. The two were intertwined in each other's arms, Kat's head resting on Adam's chest. They were the picture of contentment.

"Don't they look sweet," Tanya cooed.

"Yeah. Right." Rocky muttered, causing Tanya to look at him wonderingly.

"Should we wake them?" Kim asked, looking up at Tommy with a bright smile. He seemed to know what she was thinking and gave her shoulder an affectionate squeeze.

"No, let them sleep. They probably had a tough night."

Kim hung back as Tommy shepherded the others on their way. She smiled as Adam shifted, nuzzling his cheek against Kat's hair. They both looked so happy.

"I'm so glad you finally found each other," she whispered. Then, she joined the others on the ground to wait.

Chapter Fifteen: Poppies

"Poppies...." Rocky cackled, doing his best impression of the Wicked Witch of the West. Before the seven weary travelers stretched a field of blood red blossoms.

"Any bad vibes about this place?" Tanya asked of Kim, recalling how strenuously she had objected to the last open stretch of ground they had attempted to cross.

"So far, none," Kim responded.

"Do we go for it?" Adam queried.

"I don't see that we have any choice since this flower patch extends north and south as far as the eye can see," Billy remarked.

"We'll stay more alert this time," Tommy said.

"'Poppies will make them sleep... sleep....'" Rocky continued.

"Is there a movie you can't quote from?" Kat wondered. Rocky had been something of a nuisance since the team had reunited.

"Hey, Adam, is Kat ticklish?" Rocky hissed in a low whisper.

"I don't know," Adam whispered.

"She's your girlfriend, and you don't know if she's ticklish or not? Geez, what do you guys do on your private time?" Adam scowled as Rocky's eyes lit up with a mischievous gleam. "What say we find out if she is or isn't?"

"Rocky...."

Adam's warning went unheeded as the Blue Ranger launched his assault against Kat.

"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded as she shoved him away.

"You're not ticklish?" Rocky pouted.

"No."

"Damn." However, he was undeterred in his attempt to get something going. His gaze flickered over to Tanya.

"Don't even think it, DeSantos," she growled.

"Then that leaves the lovely Miss Hart!"

"Rocky, don't you dare...." Kim threatened, backing away.

"I know you're ticklish," he said as he stalked her, fingers moving in a tickling motion.

"This isn't the time or place for this sort of thing," Billy sighed.

Rocky cheerfully ignored him.

"Don't do it, Rocko," Tommy warned. Rocky skirted around Tommy as he made a grab for him.

Kim dashed around Tommy, barely escaping Rocky's lunge.

"'I'll get you, my pretty... and your little dog, too!'"

Kim cut between Kat and Adam with Rocky in hot pursuit. Rocky broke off from trailing Kim and circled around Billy and Tanya, cutting Kim off.

"Gotcha!"

"No!"

Rocky tackled Kim from behind and laid into her sides. Kim's fists pounded the ground as she squealed with helpless laughter.

"Striking an opponent from behind... shameful," Tanya tsked, trying to keep the mirth out of her voice.

"Stop it, Rocky! Stop it!" Kim shrieked.

"When I'm ready."

"Guys, we really should be moving on," Billy interjected.

"Shall we pull 'im off?" Adam asked of Tommy.

"Wait a sec," Tommy suggested, noticing that Kim was gathering herself to make a move. When she did, she bucked her hips, unsettling Rocky a bit, then she reared back, throwing him off. Whirling around, she pinned him.

"Okay, wise guy, your turn," she declared with a malicious grin.

"Uh, Kim...." Rocky protested. She ignored him as her fingers probed his sensitive sides, sending him off into peals of laughter.

"No fair!" he gasped, struggling for all he was worth.

Around them, the rest of the team burst out laughing.

"Come on, Kim," Tommy said at last. Rocky had tears streaming down his cheeks as he gulped for breath. "I think he's learned his lesson."

"Well...." Kim began reluctantly. She let her guard down for a moment; it was all the opening Rocky needed. He threw her off, sending her crashing into Billy. The two went careening forward into the flowers. Billy groaned as Kim flattened him.

"Oh, Billy, I'm sorry; are you all right?" Kim panted as she scrambled off him and tried to help him sit up.

"No major damage," Billy winced. Nothing important was injured... but just barely. Still, the scratch wasn't deep. "However, I have discovered that these flowers have thorns."

"I'm sorry, you guys," Rocky apologized as he offered them both a hand up.

"What has gotten into you lately?" Tanya asked.

Rocky shrugged and looked away. "I don't know."

"Actually, I think he was overdue for an outburst of mischief," Kim remarked.

"No hard feelings, Kim?"

"Not this time."

"Billy, are you okay?" Tanya queried.

It had taken only an hour or so to cross the blazing floral swathe; the trek had not been particularly arduous, but Billy was out of breath, his face flushed.

"Just fatigued," Billy said dismissively.

"Are you sure?" The breeze was cool, and they had been walking in the shade of the trees for some time, yet sweat trickled down from Billy's brow.

"I'm fine."

However, Tanya wasn't convinced. She kept an eye on Billy as they continued pushing through the foliage. The further they walked, the more Billy lagged behind. While she was making her observations, Rocky dropped back to walk beside her.

"What's up?" he queried, noting the looks she was flashing Billy.

"Something's wrong," she murmured.

"With Billy?" Rocky cast a furtive glance at the former Blue Ranger. It was pretty obvious that something was wrong. There was a glazed look to his eyes, and a vapid grin tugged at Billy's lips. "He looks really out of it, like he's drunk. Do you think maybe it's left over from his run in with the octo-thingie?"

"Could be, since we only had enough salve for one treatment, and I'm sure the pace Tommy has set isn't helping matters either," Tanya noted.

"Hey, oh fearless leader, when do we get to rest?" Rocky hollered. "My feet are killing me!"

"Hang in there just a little while longer; I can see a break in the trees ahead. We'll stop there," Tommy called back.

~*~

"Oh, wow," Kim murmured as the seven emerged from the forest. Before them spread the verdant tapestry of the jungle. They stood on the edge of a ridge overlooking a vast sea of trees stretching as far as the eye could see.

"This place is really beautiful," Kat sighed. "It's a shame we haven't been able to enjoy it more."

"Where do we go from here?" Adam queried. He peered over the edge. There was a six-foot drop from where they stood to a lower ledge; from there, the ground sloped down to the floor of the jungle.

"We go down," Tommy said, stretching and working the kinks out of his back.

"Man, this grass feels good," Rocky sighed as he sprawled out on the ground.

"Why don't you join him," Tanya suggested to Billy who was leaning heavily against a tree trunk.

"Hm?" was the numb response. Tanya and Rocky traded concerned looks.

"Can you see the river?" Kat wondered.

"Is that it over there?" Adam asked, pointing off to the right.

"Hey, what's that?" Kim queried, shielding her eyes against the midday sun as she stared intently to the east.

"What do you see?" Tommy wondered, joining her in scanning the horizon.

"I'm not sure, but I think it looks like the tip of a...."

The words died on Kim's lips as a brilliant flash of light lit the sky. The flare was so intense, everyone had to shield their eyes.

"Oh, man, what was that?" Rocky groaned.

"It's just like when I saw...." Tanya's voice trailed off as her vision cleared. "Oh, my God, it's happening again!"

"Do you see...?" Kat gulped.

"... my Zeo symbol," Adam murmured in awe.

"You're seeing a rectangle? I'm seeing a triangle," Rocky interjected.

"Was it blue or was it white?" Tommy queried.

"Blue," Rocky responded.

"Mine was green. Why?" Adam asked.

"I saw a star, but it was more white than red," Tommy answered.

"This is too weird," Tanya said.

"This has to be a sign that we're getting close to the crystal," Kat sighed.

"Kim, what was it you said you saw... Kim?" Tommy eyed Kim with concern. She stood at the edge of the ridge, her gaze distant. Tears trickled down her cheeks, and she wore the oddest smile. Tommy put a hand on her shoulder, which she promptly covered with her own, giving it a squeeze.

"I saw something, too," she replied in an emotion-choked whisper.

"What was it?"

"A crane, Tommy; I saw the image of a crane in flight."

"Billy, what about you?" Adam asked eagerly. The others turned to find Billy swaying unsteadily at the very edge of the plateau. His stare was unfocused, and his smile was most disturbing, almost maniacal.

"A wolf," he muttered, then, to the astonishment of the others, he burst into a fit of giggles.

"Billy?" Tommy questioned concernedly.

Billy suddenly lost his balance and toppled over the rim of the ridge. He landed hard on the ledge then rolled pell mell down the slope.

"Let's go," Tommy ordered, and they dropped down to give chase.

Reflexes garnered from training with his friends kicked in to keep Billy from becoming seriously hurt in the fall. He tumbled down the hill until he crashed into a clump of thick vines laden with purple berries. His arrival disturbed the insects hovering about the blossoms, and he waved them away as they angrily buzzed him.

Groaning, Billy sat up, cradling his head in his hands. He had no idea what had caused him to lose his equilibrium. The day's trek had hardly been arduous; there was no reason for him to be as winded as he had been.

"Billy!" Kim called out frantically, and Billy looked up to see his friends sliding down the grade towards him.

"I'm all right, I think," he called back. Climbing to his feet, he felt somewhat lightheaded.

"What happened? Are you sure you're okay?" Tommy queried.

"I believe so," Billy answered; however, Kim was apparently not satisfied with his assurances. She began to inspect his injuries the moment she reached his side. "Well, doctor, will I live?" he quipped.

Kim eyed him wonderingly, his flippancy catching her off guard. "Except for some bruises and scrapes, you seem fine...."

"If he was fine, he wouldn't have gone toppling over the edge of the cliff," Tanya interjected.

"Good point," Kat agreed.

"Maybe the flare made him dizzy," Adam ventured.

"Are you up to going on?" Tommy asked. "I thought we might try and make the river and camp there for the night."

"Certainly."

"Say, these look like blackberries," Rocky murmured, taking note of the plump fruit. Before anyone could object, he popped one into his mouth. "They even taste like blackberries."

"Perhaps they are blackberries," Billy replied, a smile quirking at the corner of his mouth.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Rocky wondered, echoing Tommy's earlier question. The obvious amusement in Billy's tone was rather out of character.

"Positive. Let's get going," Billy countered, flicking away yet another of the brightly colored insects.

"Whatever," Rocky agreed reluctantly.

Upon resuming their hike, the seven found themselves among more of the braided cypress-like trees that had grown along the river near the lake; however, these specimens were much larger. Several could have sheltered all of the Rangers comfortably.

Billy's attention, however, was not on the trees. He continued to be plagued by the pesky bugs from the berry bush. Finally, one settled on his forearm, and he was able to examine it in greater detail. Entomology was not one of his strong suits, but the creature resembled a species of dragonfly... at least in the arrangement of its wings. The iridescent scarlet and violet patterns disconcerted more than pleased the eye, and while Billy's attention was focused on the dizzying whorls, he felt a tiny sting--much like a pinprick.

He was so absorbed in his observations that he stumbled into Kat.

"Sorry," he mumbled, his tongue feeling thick and his voice slurred.

"Billy, you don't look well," Kat remarked, taking in his pale cheeks and his glazed expression. She noticed that Billy was staring at something on his arm. "What's that?"

"A bug," Billy answered, and to his friends' astonishment, he giggled drunkenly. "A pretty bug."

"Billy?" Adam gasped.

"May I see the bug?" Tanya queried as she caught up with the trio. Billy extended his arm proudly. It appeared harmless, but something about it made Tanya uneasy. "I don't like it, Billy; maybe you should chase it away."

"But it's pretty!"

"Billy, please."

"Oh, all right. You're no fun," Billy groused. He shook his arm to fling the insect away. "Shoo! Scat! Go away, bug!" When the creature refused to obey, he squashed it on his arm.

"Gross," Kat complained.

Then, as Billy was scraping the entrails off his arm, the others noticed a scorpion-like tail wrapped around his limb, the end of which was embedded in the blood vessels at the base of his wrist.

"I don't feel so good," Billy murmured, then collapsed. Adam and Rocky caught him.

"Tommy!" Tanya shouted.

"What happened?" Tommy queried as he and Kim backtracked to where the others were gathered.

"What is that on Billy's arm?" Kim gasped.

"I'm more worried about what it did to him." Tommy untangled the coil and plucked the stinger out of his wrist. The wound did not bleed, and the skin around the puncture was a vivid shade of purple.

"Whatever it pumped into him is sure acting fast," Kim noted, placing her hand on Billy's feverish brow.

"Some kind of venom?" Tanya wondered.

"Probably. We're going to have to drain the wound," Kim said grimly.

"We don't have any more of the leaves," Rocky reminded her.

"Then we'll just have to find another way," she replied tersely.

"Lay him down, guys, so Kim can work on him," Tommy instructed. "Kat, Adam, why don't you see about getting some water. There's not much left in the skins."

"Right." The two hurried off towards the sound of running water.

"Kim, can you and Tanya handle Billy? Rocky and I'll find a place to make camp."

"We'll be all right," Kim assured him, and the two young men began their search.

"We're probably going to have to suck the poison out like they do for snakebites," Tanya mused.

"That's just what I was thinking. Ever do it before?"

"Never. You?"

"Uh uh, but it was in the first aid chapter of my scout manual." The two regarded each other thoughtfully. Then Kim nodded somberly. "You hold him while I deal with the wound."

Kim used the sabertooth (not as sharp as the talon, but effective nonetheless) to open the wound. Billy stirred briefly but settled down quickly. Then, fighting to keep from gagging, she put Billy's wrist to her lips and sucked hard.

Just call me Countess Dracula, Kim reflected wryly, as the warm liquid seeped into her mouth. She wasn't sure what blood was supposed to taste like, but she had a feeling it wasn't supposed to be so sickeningly sweet. She spat out the tainted fluid and drew in another draught, continuing the procedure until she couldn't taste the sweetness any longer.

"How's he doing?" Kim queried, wiping away the red liquid that stained her mouth. She dimly noticed that the others had returned.

"He's quiet," Tanya reported.

"Excuse me a minute," Kim said suddenly and dashed for the bushes where she was promptly sick.

"You going to be okay?" Tommy asked as he slipped up behind her. He handed her one of the water skins.

Kim rinsed her mouth out thoroughly before taking a sip.

"I think so." In spite of her words, Kim looked rather pale, and she felt shaky. "At least Rocky didn't make any vampire jokes."

"I think he was too startled to." Tommy pulled her into his arms, petting her softly to ease her tremors. "Do you think it helped?"

"I hope so, Tommy, because I don't know what else we can do."

~*~

"Nicely done," Amadan purred with satisfaction as he absently stroked the back of the tiny flier perched on his finger. It was an insect not unlike the one that had stung Billy.

"What have you done?" Dulcea hissed. Her eyes narrowed as she observed the creature resting on his hand. Her expression was ice hard. "How could you!"

"I have done nothing; the former Blue Ranger is the one who angered the draco-wasp into stinging him."

"Draco-wasps do not make their home in that part of the jungle. You know there is no antitoxin for the wasp's venom!"

"Perhaps."

"You are a member of the Council--a keeper of the Crystal--sworn to uphold life not take it!" Her voice was as dangerous as a well-honed knife. "If he dies, Amadan, it will be on your head, and you will have betrayed everything that the Council stands for. How then will you prove your worth to be the Crystal's champion?"

If Dulcea's words struck a chord within the First of the Temple, he gave no sign.

~*~

"Kimmie Kim Kim Kimmie...!"

Kim rolled her eyes as she set her equipment down. How long had it been since Billy collapsed after being stung? A couple of days at the most, but it seemed like forever.

"I really hate that," Kim sighed as she wrung out the fur scrap in the hot water and wiped Billy's brow. She had done everything she could think of to bring his fever down, but nothing seemed to work. She was beginning to feel the same sense of panic that she had when she realized Tommy's wound had been infected. Only this time, there was no miracle cure to be had.

"You really hate what?" Tommy queried as he crawled into the 'sick room.' Billy was exceedingly restless, and his constant tossing and turning had prevented the rest of the team from sleeping, so they had decided that he needed his own little haven under the braided roots.

"Being called Kimmie," she replied, brushing the hair from her eyes. "Rita and Goldar always called me that. Yuck!"

"Then I'm glad I never started calling you that."

"I'd have belted you."

Billy suddenly started laughing--a high pitched, almost maniacal giggling.

"He's not getting any better, is he," Tommy said quietly.

"No. The willow bark isn't doing much good, and Tanya and I are pretty sure we've drained almost all the poison out. Sometimes I think maybe there's another infected wound, but I can't find any other marks." Kim ignored Billy's mirth as best she could and continued with the sponge bath. "Not that I mind the company, but what brings you to the sick room?" Thus far, she had been the only one who could endure Billy's delusional outbursts. It was just too unsettling to see the most stable member of the team so out of it.

"I thought you might like some help," Tommy offered. "You've been handling the nursing chores pretty much by yourself. It's about time the rest of us pitched in a little more."

"Feeling guilty, huh?"

"Yeah, well...."

Kim patted his arm. "Thank you. I could use a hand. Billy's been more difficult to handle than you were."

"Really?"

"You didn't fight back."

"I kind of wondered about that shiner."

Gingerly, Kim touched the bruise around her left eye. The other day Billy had been exceptionally violent, and she had been caught by a flailing fist.

"So, do you want to drain or diaper?" Kim held out the tusk-knife and a loincloth. Bleeding the wound was still the only way they knew of to rid Billy's system of the poison, and they still had no bedpans. Tommy eyed both dubiously; neither option appealed.

"You're better at playing vampire than I am," he decided.

"Do you even know how to change a diaper?" Kim queried, amused by Tommy's leery expression.

"I've done it a couple of times," he replied defensively, thinking of the time he and Kat had played 'house' for a class project and wound up babysitting.

"It shouldn't be too bad; he's only had liquids today," Kim said encouragingly. Then, she turned her attention to Billy's arm. "Okay, Billy, you need to hold real still for me so I can drain your wound."

"Suck out all my blood like a vampire!" Billy tittered.

"Just the bad stuff," she assured him.

"All bad...."

"You'll get better; I promise."

"Pretty Kimmie," Billy giggled, reaching up to touch her face.

"Thank you," Kim sighed, her answer given in the same tone a mother would use to humor a fussy child.

"Help me, Kimmie," he pleaded.

"I'm trying."

"I know what will help...."

"Not that again," she groaned, burying her face in her hands.

"If Kimmie really wants to help, stop sucking my arm...."

"Billy, please...!"

"... and suck on my cock instead!" His words dissolved into peals of riotous laughter.

"Just... go back to sleep, Billy," Kim commanded through clenched teeth. She snuck a peek at Tommy; she could tell by his expression that he didn't know whether to be shocked or amused. Billy continued to laugh and thrash, and Kim sat back to wait for him to wear himself out.

"Does he proposition you often?" Tommy inquired, trying to hold back his laughter in the face of Kim's warning glare.

"Only every time he's conscious," she muttered.

"You have to admit, it is pretty funny."

"I could handle it if it was Rocky; I'd expect that sort of thing from him, not from Billy."

"He's a guy just like the rest of us," Tommy said with a shrug.

"I know, and he even admitted to taking magazines into the bathroom like any other guy, but still.... It's just not what I think of when I think of Billy."

"Don't hold it against him; he's out of his mind right now."

"I know. He'll probably have no memory of saying any of this, but I will. How am I going to be able to face him when this is all over?"

"You'll be able to because he's your oldest and best friend," Tommy assured her, reaching out a comforting hand.

"Thanks, Tommy. You're probably right." Kim flashed him a grateful smile and squeezed the offered hand.

"Let's finish things up in here; the others could probably use a hand with the stretcher," Tommy said as he fumbled with the sharpened bones that passed for diaper pins. "Are you sure it'll be okay to move Billy while he's still sick?"

"No, but I can't shake this feeling that we really need to be moving on."

"Because of that black shape you saw before the flash?"

"Partially. There's also the fact that we may find some of those purple leaves in another part of the jungle."

Tommy wasn't going to argue with Kim; if she felt they had to be moving on, he wasn't about to question her intuition. Absently, he ran his hand along the scar on his stomach. The moment passed, and Tommy realized he had put things off long enough. He was the one who had volunteered to help, and Kim was already bent over Billy's arm....

Oh man! he moaned silently. Kim looked so good bent over like that...! Diapering Billy was just the thing he needed to keep his hormones from running amuck. He doubted Kimberly would even be in the mood, what with Billy still out of commission.

Tommy tried to remain dispassionate as he tended his unconscious teammate, but he couldn't help the blush that scorched his cheeks as he applied the wet rag.

Come on; Billy would have done the same for you if Kim hadn't been there, Tommy tried to tell himself. Still, he was grateful Billy was sleeping, and he prayed none of the others came in.

Think of it like this: if you weren't doing this, your girlfriend would be. Can you deal with Kimberly touching Billy when she won't even touch you?

That's different! With Billy, it's for medicinal purposes only.

You couldn't prove it by Billy.

Tommy had to admit that Billy certainly looked like he was enjoying something! If Billy was under the impression that Kimberly was the only one taking care of him.... Tommy found that he had to agree with Kimberly: it was difficult attributing the normal teenage preoccupation with sex to Billy. Although, he had certainly showed enough interest in the girls at the outset of their adventure; maybe under normal conditions, Billy just had better control over his hormones than most guys. As Tommy continued Billy's clean up, he tried to shake those thoughts off. He didn't need to be speculating on Billy's state of arousal; however, the thought just wouldn't go away.

"Is something wrong, Tommy?" Kim queried as she rinsed her mouth out, noticing his frown and intent expression.

"Kim, is Billy always this... excited when you're working on him?" Tommy fumbled.

"Pretty much, why?"

"Don't you think it's kind of strange? When I was unconscious after my injury, was I hard like this?"

Kim thought a moment. "No, you weren't. Maybe Billy's just having really wild hallucinations. Look at how many times he's asked me for a blowjob."

"I think it's more than that," Tommy murmured, shaking his head. "I mean, does this look like a normal erection to you?"

"How would I know that!"

"You're the one with the most experience with Billy's anatomy. You mean to tell me that Billy didn't get hard once while you were in his body?"

Kim felt herself regretting ever having told Tommy about the mind-switching incident. She had explored Billy some, but she had never worked up the nerve to masturbate or anything like that.

"Look, I'm not sitting here discussing the state of Billy's cock for the hell of it; I really think something is wrong," he said tightly.

Tommy really did look uncomfortable. Reluctantly, Kim scooted over, and Tommy made room for her. With a dry swallow and a diffident touch, she examined Billy's genitalia.

"I think you're right," she murmured. The inflamed organ, while normally red when engorged, was a livid purplish-red hue and feverishly hot to the touch. Extremely conscious of Tommy's gaze, Kim drew a finger down to inspect the sac. It seemed larger than she recalled... swollen.... At her whispery touch, Billy moaned, and it wasn't with pleasure. With a growing sense of unease, Kim continued her examination. She noticed a drop of clear liquid oozing from the tip. She smeared the liquid on her finger and took a tentative taste; she made a face and quickly spit it out.

"What is it?" Tommy wondered, trying to get a grip on his own responses to Kimberly's examination. His cheeks felt as flushed as hers. He was puzzled by her frown; the clear fluid was supposed to be tasteless.

"Sweet," she replied.

"If it tasted like anything, I would have guessed salty."

"Almost too sweet, like his blood," she elaborated.

"Well, now we know why he's still feverish: a secondary infection, just like you thought."

"But how?" As she ruminated over the possibilities, Kim unconsciously took up the diapering duties, and Tommy was content to let her. As she tried to adjust Billy to fit the loincloth, Kim's fingers grazed across a ridge of flesh--like a scar. "What's this?" Her fingers tracked the puckered line of skin through the dark blondish-brown hair to the base of his organ.

"That wasn't caused by that bug," Tommy murmured.

"The flowers!" Kim gasped. "When Rocky pushed me into him... remember? Billy said something about the flowers having thorns. How much do you want to bet something got into his system then?"

"That would explain why he toppled over the ridge," Tommy added.

Kim's fear was plain on her face. "It doesn't look like the infection is centered on the original injury, and we can't bleed this wound like the other one. It's too delicate. What are we going to do?"

Kim emerged from the sick room, her arms laden with the soiled furs. Absently, she set out from camp, completely ignoring the others as they looked up from their tasks hoping for word on Billy's condition. Her mind was wholly focused on her latest discovery. Tommy emerged moments later, looking as somber as Kimberly.

"Tommy, how's Billy?" Kat queried anxiously.

"Not good," he mumbled. "I'll explain in a bit." With that, he hurried after Kim. It amazed him that someone with such short legs could move so quickly. He finally caught up with her at the stream. She was already sloshing the furs around and was so absorbed with her thoughts that she didn't hear him approach. Tommy watched her for a few moments, taking in with concern the tension in her shoulders. She was taking her inability to help Billy personally in spite of the fact that she had done everything she possibly could.

"Kim, it's not your fault," Tommy said softly as he sat down next to her. He had to pry the laundry from her grip and force her to look at him. Guilty tears shimmered in her eyes.

"If I would have noticed the other wound sooner...."

" ... you still wouldn't have been able to do anything. You were right when you said you couldn't have treated the groin injury like you did the arm, and you're not to blame because we can't find any of those plants."

"I can't let him down, Tommy," Kim sniffled. "Every time someone's been hurt, I've managed to find some way to help. There has to be a way to help Billy!"

"I'm sure there is; we just need to remain calm and clear headed. We won't give up on Billy," Tommy assured her, rocking her gently and stroking her hair soothingly. As he held Kim, Tommy thought back on their observations, discussions, and Billy's reactions. For some reason, his mind kept coming back to Billy's proposition.

"Maybe...." he began hesitantly, then he shook if off. It was just too far out.

"What?"

There was such hope in her voice that Tommy almost hated to share his wild idea with her. "I keep thinking about Billy constantly asking you for a blowjob. Maybe it's not just a hallucination or side effect of the poison. Maybe he's been trying to tell you something."

"Like what?"

"Like how to cure him."

Kim drew back nervously, sliding off his lap. "What do you mean?"

"I think you know," Tommy said oh-so-quietly as if he didn't want anyone else to hear. "I think Billy's been trying to tell you that you need to drain this second wound like you did the first: suck the poison out."

"A-are you suggesting that I give Billy a blowjob?" Kim stammered, aghast.

Tommy fidgeted uncomfortably. "Maybe not a blowjob, just jerk him off. Look, it's pretty obvious that the poison has collected in his balls, and there's only one way that I know of to empty them out."

"Tommy, I couldn't!" Kim sputtered, shocked that he would suggest such thing. "I've never... well, you know! I've never touch a guy like that --not even you!"

"I know," was his quiet acknowledgment. His somber demeanor rattled Kimberly.

"Besides, I wouldn't even know what to do."

Tommy gazed into Kimberly's eyes with all due seriousness and asked, "If you knew what to do, would you do it? To save Billy's life?"

Kim glanced away, unable to meet the intensity of his eyes for a moment. Tommy was right; she could feel it in her gut. Masturbating Billy was the only logical way to drain the infected area, and to save the life of her friend, she could bring herself to do almost anything.

"You know I would," she responded with equal sobriety. Still, she couldn't help but feel scared, and the fear reflected in her eyes.

"It'll be all right," Tommy assured her, kissing her brow. "You don't have to be nervous."

"I know, but...." ... but I know how much you'd like me to do something like that for you, and I can't bring myself to, and here I'm going to do Billy.... Suddenly, another concern popped into Kimberly's head. "D-do we have to tell the others?"

"No," Tommy agreed. Truthfully, he didn't relish the idea of trying to explain to their friends why he had talked his girlfriend into masturbating another guy. "When we get back to camp, I'll take the others hunting for dinner or something while you take care of Billy. All right?"

"I guess so. So... um... what do I have to do?" she asked, her mouth going dry. They were still just discussing the hand job, and already her hands were shaking!

"Just use a simple up and down motion... a steady pace but not too fast. Use a firm grip but not too tight...." Tommy considered Kim's blank, terrified expression for a moment. "Here, like this...." Before he even really realized what he was doing, he took her hand and wrapped it around his own organ.

Too stunned to speak, Kim gaped at his swelling member in her grasp.

"L-loosen your grip a little... there.... Oh man... now, real easy, pump up and down... oh, wow!"

Wild eyed, Kim flashed Tommy a glance as a moan rumbled up from the depths of his chest. She had never seen an expression of such utter bliss on his face. From her own experience, she had never had such an immediately intense reaction to her own touch. Could it really feel so good? But she wasn't doing anything! Yet, the more her hand continued to move along the hot, throbbing shaft, the more Tommy moaned.

Kim looked away, suddenly unable to deal with the naked emotions in Tommy's eyes. She needn't have worried; Tommy's eyes fluttered shut as his head fell back. Kim was struck by the similarity of his response to hers that one time he had nuzzled at her breast. That had felt so incredible, and Tommy hadn't done all that much to her. In spite of her diffidence, Kim did not cease pumping Tommy's straining anatomy, nor could she have if she wanted to.

Her fingers memorized every detail of his pulsating organ: the velvety softness of the cap, the satiny steel of the shaft... the coarse, chocolate colored curls... the ridges of the sac.... Everywhere her fingers touched, they drew a response from Tommy, whether it was a deep rumbling moan or a shiver of delight or a coiling of muscle. Her eyes drank in every detail of his quivering body, which glistened with a sheen of sweat. She had never looked at him so intently before, and it left her breathless, her pulse pounding. Satisfied that he wasn't watching her, she looked to his face in wonderment. She had never seen him look so vulnerable, so open.... It was as if he had completely surrendered to her touch.

A surge of pride rippled through her. Kim had known the filling sense of satisfaction before: in performing a routine, in taking out a putty, but never like this. She could not believe how good it felt to know that she was bringing Tommy such incredible pleasure. The more he moaned, the more she wanted to make him moan, and with every pleasurable utterance Tommy made, Kim felt her own body responding. She was getting off on giving Tommy the hand job.

As for Tommy, he was incapable of forming a coherent thought; he had never known anything could feel so good! He thought it would be like his own hand, and while Kim's grasp was firm (... man! but she's got the right touch!), her touch was so light and so unlike his own that it was maddening. It felt incredible. In some corner of his mind, he tried to convince himself that he shouldn't be enjoying it so much; after all, the only reason Kim was doing this was so that she could help Billy, but he couldn't help himself. His senses continued to reel as the sweetest fire he had ever known coursed through his veins in a molten rush, sweeping him along helplessly. He didn't want to fight it. He wanted it to overwhelm him and carry him away. He could feel himself poised on the brink; he wanted to lose himself in the inevitable fiery burst of ecstasy. It was there, just beyond his fingertips....

"Tommy?"

The rhythmic motions ceased, and while Kim's timid query didn't smother the flame burning through him, it doused it to the point that it left him simmering on the edge.

"Oh, man," he groaned, frustrated. Kim just couldn't do this to him now! She couldn't get cold feet--not when he was so close.... But he had promised....

"W-what if the hand job isn't enough?" Kim continued. Tommy forced his eyes open and tried to focus on her face, her expression unfathomable.

"What do you mean?"

Her eyes, which had been looking everywhere but at him, finally locked onto his gaze. Something flashed in Kim's soft, brown orbs... something Tommy had never seen before and could not name.

Kim bit her lip as she regarded Tommy. His need was naked in his eyes. She could feel it in the organ throbbing in her hand. They had both come too far for her to back out. She had to know... if only for Billy's sake....

"What if a hand job isn't enough? What if I really do have to suck the poison out?"

Before she lost her nerve, Kim bent her head over Tommy's groin.

"What do you... oh... my... GOD!"

The musky scent of Tommy's excitement filled Kim's senses even as the taste of his manhood filled her mouth. She had taken him as deeply as she could, until her throat threatened to close up. She backed off and explored his sex with lips and tongue as minutely as she had with fingers and eyes. Around the so-soft head and down the smooth, rigid shaft and back up again, her tongue left a trail of hot, sweet wetness in its wake. Tommy was larger than she had figured, and what her mouth could not reach, her hands could. After several minutes of licking, kissing, and playful nipping (during all of which Tommy writhed in a helpless pleasurable frenzy) Kim found a rhythm and began working her mouth around his organ in earnest.

"Oh, man Kim... I... oh God, I'm...." Tommy gasped, unable to form the words.

Kim felt the tensing of his muscles, finding it not unlike the way her own body braced itself for the oncoming explosion. Oh yes, he was close... just a few more strokes.... However, she misjudged the nearness of Tommy's orgasm. With a strangled cry, Tommy came, shooting hot, salty semen into her mouth. Kim panicked as the thick, somewhat bitter fluid squirted down her throat. She tried to pull away but not before she had a mouthful. She didn't quite know what to do. What should she do? Spit it out? Probably, but that seemed so... impolite.

"Oh, man, Kim, I--I'm sorry.... I just couldn't hold back any longer," Tommy apologized breathlessly.

Kim couldn't answer with her mouth full, so she did the only thing she could think of: she swallowed.

"Are you okay?" Tommy queried, noticing her grimace.

"Yeah, I'm fine. My jaw aches a little. Did I do all right?"

Instead of answering, Tommy crushed her body against his and kissed her fiercely.

"That was the most incredible thing I've ever felt!" he gushed when they came up for air.

"Really?" Kim glanced away bashfully, her cheeks made crimson by his effusive praise.

"Thank you." This time, his kiss was much more gentle. Slowly it began to heat up, both lovers melting into the tender heat of the exchange. Then, Kim pulled away, regarding Tommy with frightened eyes.

"Kim?"

"We'd... better get back to camp," she said hastily as her emotions came crashing in on her. What had they been doing? What had she done? She suddenly felt confused, vulnerable, and scared. "We've been gone an awfully long time; I'm sure the others are wondering...."

"Are you okay? What's wrong?" Tommy queried, concerned by her retreat. He felt like swearing as she quickly scrambled to her feet. Kim didn't answer him. She didn't even look at him as she started back towards camp.

Why is it so wrong for me to enjoy pleasuring Tommy or being pleasured by him? We're not kids anymore; we love each other, so why do I feel this way?

The others looked up as Kim emerged from the brush. She tried to smile; she didn't want them to see that something was bothering her, but the smile never reached her eyes. The tension was obvious in the way she carried herself.

"Don't tell me you guys had another fight," Rocky groaned and was promptly cuffed by Kat.

"Kim, what's wrong?" Tanya queried.

"I'm just tired, I guess," Kim sighed, while inwardly she said, I'm tired of being scared. I'm tired of doubting. I'm tired of hurting. I'm tired of wanting and needing and being unable to do anything about it.

"Stressing about Billy's condition?" Adam ventured.

"Yeah, nothing seems to be working."

Kim heard a rustle of leaves behind her and knew it was Tommy. Turning, she glimpsed the concern in his eyes, but there was still a dusting of an excited flush in his cheeks, and he wasn't weighted down with tension like she was. He truly looked like he had experienced some form of relief. Absently, Kim wondered what the others would make of it.

"Maybe you need to take a break from the nursing chores," Kat suggested.

"I'll be all right," Kim replied dismissively.

"Has Billy been quiet?" Tommy asked.

"Not a peep," Rocky answered.

Tommy placed a hand on Kim's shoulder and felt her muscles draw into knots as he continued. "Why don't you go lay down and catch a nap."

"There's too much to do...." Was she protesting for the sake of the performance or was she trying to delay what she knew she had to do? However, judging by Billy's fever, he didn't have time for her to have second thoughts.

"Why don't the rest of us go search for dinner. You can crash in the sick room since Billy's sleeping quietly; that way, if he wakes up, you'll be right nearby," Tommy proposed.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Rocky agreed readily.

"Feeling like a caged animal, are we?" Tanya teased.

Rocky growled in reply.

Kim managed a weak laugh at that. "You guys had better get going, then," she acquiesced with a sigh. "I'll hold down the fort."

"We shouldn't be gone too long, then one of us can take over for you," Kat assured her.

I wouldn't be too sure of that!

"It'll be all right, Beautiful," Tommy whispered as he dipped in close to brush his lips against her cheek.

Kim said nothing. She stood and watched as the rest of her teammates slipped off into the underbrush, then she steeled herself for what awaited her in the sick room.

Billy tossed and turned in his feverish sleep. Kim hoped the cool rag would help soothe him long enough for her to get started. Her hands shook as she removed the diaper pins and peeled the cloth back. She gasped. If anything, the state of Billy's erection was even worse than it had been previously.

Come on, you can do this. You have to do this!

Still, it felt so weird. This was Billy--one of her best friends! She'd never dreamed of touching Billy intimately, and she wasn't sure whether having Tommy know about it made the situation better or worse.

Better. If Tommy didn't know, then you'd be racked with guilt as well.

"Kimmie...." Billy moaned, " ... make it stop hurting!"

"I will, Billy; I promise," she whispered, brushing the damp hair out of his eyes. Taking a deep breath, she reached down to gently caress his aching erection. His moan of pain brought tears to her eyes. She wrapped her fingers around him much more loosely than she had around Tommy. She knew that there would be differences between her two friends' organs, but it still took her by surprise to feel them immediately--little things that would still be there once Billy's was back to normal. Kim trained her eyes on Billy's face; she was going to have to watch his expression. It would be too easy to mistake a moan of pain for a moan of pleasure. She didn't want to make things worse for him.

Billy gave another gasp as she began her long, slow stroke; however, that gasp quickly melted into a moan. Kim felt a grin tug at the corner of her mouth.

The cure won't be too bad for you, will it?

At least Billy was so far out of it that he wouldn't remember much of anything; Kim knew she would just die if he were to find out she had masturbated him. As she watched his feelings play out across his face, Kim was taken aback by how similar Billy's were to Tommy's, and it concerned her that she was beginning to feel the same things she had felt when doing Tommy.

Her thoughts were disturbed by a sudden coiling in Billy; before she knew it, he was spilling semen all over her hands. He came so quickly! As Kim reached for a second rag to clean Billy up, she noticed that his organ looked in no way diminished.

"You're not going to make this easy on me, are you?" she whispered, agitated. Billy's response was to giggle hysterically.

~*~

"You know, I think I figured out what's bugging Kim and Tommy," Rocky announced as he and Tanya picked fruit. Kat and Adam had taken the bow to find some meat, and Tommy had said something about doing a little scouting.

"Oh, and pray tell what have you deduced?" Tanya teased.

"They want each other but are afraid to do anything about it."

Tanya blinked in surprise. "They're that obvious?"

"What else could it be? They're back together. Kat has Adam now, so they don't have to walk on tippy toes around her anymore. One minute they're all kissy face and lovey dovey and the next they're too embarrassed to look at each other."

"And you got all this just from watching them around camp?" Tanya knew Rocky wasn't stupid, but she never realized he was that observant.

"Well, I caught 'em once doing a little more than just stealing kisses and holding hands. They were fine until they stopped," Rocky confessed. He cocked an inquiring eyebrow at Tanya. "So, how do you know I'm right?"

"Kim and I had a little talk the other day."

"I don't see what the big deal is. I mean, it was always pretty obvious that the two of them were going to be together for a long time--until they both got stupid."

"They're both still teenagers...."

"Teenagers who have had more responsibility on their shoulders than most adults ever would."

"They just got back together...."

"We're they ever really apart? Come on, we all know they never stopped loving each other," Rocky pointed. "They should just screw each other's brains out and get it over with."

"What did I just hear?" Kat queried sharply as she and Adam rejoined their companions. The two each carried some sort of large waterfowl.

"Rocky's solution to Kim and Tommy's problems," Tanya retorted with a snort.

"It's not that simple, Rocky. There are lots of things to consider when two people are thinking about having sex," Kat chastised him. Tanya quirked an eyebrow at that, recalling how desperately Kat had wanted to have Tommy at the outset of their adventure.

"I didn't mean that like it sounded," Rocky said defensively. "I just meant to say that if that's what they want to do, then they should."

"Maybe they're not ready," Adam interjected.

"Maybe they're concerned what the rest of us would think," Kat added.

"Maybe they're worried about the consequences of their actions," Tanya remarked.

"Well, whatever's holding them back is making them miserable, and that's not good for them," Rocky sighed. "It's also not good for us. Amadan takes advantage of the least little opening we give him. He goes for any crack in the team's armor."

"Rocky has a point," Adam conceded.

"So you think they should have sex just for the benefit of the team?" Kat wondered.

"No, I...."

"Look, this is a private matter between Kim and Tommy; they'll work it out--whatever it is. They care about each other too much not to," Tanya said firmly, "and they don't need the four of us gossiping about it."

"Yeah, Tommy's liable to be back at any moment," Kat agreed.

However, it was already too late. From his vantage point in the boughs up above, Tommy had heard every word of their speculations. He had climbed up the tallest tree he could find in order to see if he could spot the black spire Kim had seen; he certainly hadn't meant to eavesdrop on his friends--even if they were discussing his love life.

Rocky made it sound so easy; Tommy wished it was that simple. He so wanted to push Kim past her self-imposed boundaries; was that why he had taken her hand earlier? He hadn't thought so at the time; he only sought to show her how to help Billy, but now he had to wonder if there had been any other motivation.

Man, that had felt so awesome; even morphing provided nowhere near the rush that Kim's hand and mouth had, and unless he was seriously mistaken, he wasn't the only one who had enjoyed it. The gleam in Kim's eyes (when he could keep his open long enough to see her) had been mind-blowing, and at times she looked so pleased with herself. She had seemed so confident while she was masturbating him, but afterwards.... Tommy had glimpsed more of the woman inside the girl, and he so wanted to set her free, but he didn't know if he should. Kim seemed frightened of that woman. Rocky was right about one thing, though; he and Kim did need to resolve the problem before Amadan tried to exploit it.

Tommy glanced back towards the direction of the camp. He wondered how Kim was faring with Billy. He hoped she didn't hate him for talking her into this; no matter how he viewed the problem, jerking Billy off still seemed to be the only solution. He knew Kim had to feel awkward and embarrassed in spite of the fact that it was a matter of life or death; the question was, how did he feel about it? Sure, it was his idea, but he had convinced his girlfriend to give another guy a hand job and possibly a blowjob! He wasn't angry or jealous... if he wanted to be totally honest with himself, he was more curious than anything else, and that bothered him.

"Too many questions," he sighed. He looked down through the branches to see that the other four were still gathering fruit. At least they had moved on to a different topic. Tommy knew he had to move to another tree; it wouldn't do for him to drop down into their midst. He didn't want them knowing he had overheard. Also, it would buy Kim a few more minutes to finish up. The others definitely didn't need to know about her and Billy.

"Damn it, Billy; are you ever gonna get soft?" Kim moaned as she finished the latest clean up only to find her patient still at full stand. Granted, there had been some progress. His balls were no longer as swollen, and his shaft was no longer an angry purple. The tainted fluid was not coming out in such huge quantities, and the orgasms were getting further and further apart. However, there was plenty of poison still in his system.

Kim shook her hands out; they were seriously cramping. Billy had already had so many orgasms, she had lost count. She doubted she had the strength to perform one more hand job.

"You're doing this to me on purpose," she glowered at him. "You're doing this so I'll have to give you a blowjob, aren't you?" She sat back and brushed the hair from her eyes as she considered that option. Initially, she had set herself against it. All right, so maybe she had to masturbate Billy, but she wanted to save the mouth job as something special just between her and Tommy. She could always take a break and give her hands a rest, but the others would be back soon, and there was no telling if she'd have another opportunity or if she had drained enough of the poison to get him out of danger. She brushed her finger tips across his forehead. He seemed cooler; had the fever broken?

Yet, in his delirium, Billy had specifically asked her to use her mouth. Was a blowjob more powerful than a hand job? Judging by Tommy's reactions, it was. Just then, Billy moaned--painfully. That decided Kim. She'd keep at it until either Billy went soft or the others got back, which ever came first.

I'm sorry, Tommy. I really wanted to save this just for you, she offered in silent apology as she bent her head over Billy's groin.

"Kim...?" Billy murmured, but the word was no longer tinged with fever-induced delirium. A hand reached out, touching soft hair. Eyelids slowly fluttered open. Billy had been having the most incredible dream of his life; he had never experienced a wet dream of such power before, and Kim had figured heavily in it like she had years ago. However, the dream didn't seem to be over as the most exquisite sensation of heat and wetness engulfed his body, centering on his groin then reaching out in never ending ripples of pleasure. Billy's head fell back as a moan rumbled up from deep in his chest. All too soon, those ripples became tongues of flame that sent him hurtling headlong into a powerful orgasm, leaving Billy gasping for air.

"Oh... wow!" he murmured softly. He hated for the dream to end; he felt a little guilty for fantasizing about Kimberly pleasuring him, but he couldn't help it. He would probably feel just as awkward if it had been Kat or Tanya who had appeared in his nocturnal escapades. In the silence, he could hear his labored breathing, and something else.... It was almost like someone expectorating most forcefully. He forced his eyes open and was immensely surprised to find Kim on her hands and knees, wiping the back of her hand across her mouth.

"Sorry, Billy," she choked out, "but if I swallowed that, I'd get as sick as you are. Let's see if that did any good."

Billy's eyebrows soared as he felt Kimberly's deft fingers caress his penis. He tried to protest, but the only sound that came out of his mouth was a soft moan.

"Geez, you're like the damned Energizer Bunny! You keep going and going and going... maybe you should have gotten the pink power," she quipped. "I'm only going to do this one more time, so you'd better hope I get the rest of it out this time."

Get the rest of what out? I don't under... oh!

Soft lips and moist mouth suddenly became the center of his universe. Wispy tendrils of honey brown hair danced across his skin as Kim's head rhythmically moved up and down. Billy flailed for something with which to brace himself. One hand found Kim's hair; the other found something soft and furry. He didn't care as Kim's mouth drove him deeper and deeper into a vortex of intense sensation. Every fiber of his being seemed to be alive with the fire radiating from his engulfed anatomy. Billy felt himself swelling in Kim's mouth; she felt it too for she reached down to cup his scrotal sac and squeezed gently. His hips thrust forward sharply, forcing his organ deeper into Kim's mouth. She did not back away but continued her oral massage, driving Billy ever deeper into a wanton frenzy of movement. He simply could not help himself.

This time when Billy's orgasm hit, the force caused him to momentarily black out. He came to as Kimberly screamed.

She never even heard the creature enter the shelter, but she had the feeling that it had been there watching and waiting for some time. Upon finishing her latest oral effort (it finally looked like Billy wasn't getting back up again!), she had seen it sitting right across from her, Billy's hand lost in its fur. The beast seemed canine but sat hunched like a caveman. In some ways, it reminded her of the gargoyles in Ghostbusters. It stared with unblinking red eyes as she spat out Billy's last load. Then, it crept closer, sniffling and snuffling. A reptilian tongue shot out, lapping at the tainted jism.

"Ew, gross!" Kim gasped, trying desperately not to panic. She didn't know what the creature was after, but she didn't like the looks of the claws or teeth. She had to draw it away from Billy somehow. After consuming the semen, the creature turned its attention towards her. Its gaze made her nervous, and she slowly backed away. It followed, stalking her, its nose taking in all the alien scents. It definitely reminded Kim of a dog, sticking its nose where it didn't belong. Then, the tongue lashed out, flicking against her inner thigh which was liberally coated with her own juices. She hadn't realized how much doing Billy had gotten to her; she hadn't even thought about it. The breath caught in her throat as the stalker licked it lips, grinning hungrily. Kim screamed and bolted towards the doorway. The beast was after her in a flash.

~*~

"Hold up, you guys," Tommy said suddenly. Laden with dinner, the five were returning to their campsite. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what? I don't hear a thing," Rocky said.

"That's what I mean."

The five were suddenly aware of the unusual silence--no insects chirping, no birds calling, no sound of the wind through the leaves.

"I don't like this," Tanya murmured.

Much more cautiously, they resumed their trek. Finally, they heard a noise, faintly at first. It sounded like a sob. As it continued to grow in volume, the forest noise began to return.

"Kim!" Tommy realized, and he took off like a shot.

When he broke through the foliage, he found Kimberly pummeling what had once been some sort of animal. It was obviously dead, but Kim, scratched and bespattered with blood, continued to pound at it with a branch, all the while choking on shuddering sobs. Tommy rushed forward to restrain her.

"That's enough, Kim; it's dead," he assured her. "It's all right now...."

"All right? It's all right?" she screamed, whirling to face him. Her voice sounded raw from use. "Where the hell were you guys? I shouted and shouted for you, but you weren't there. It came into the shelter... had to keep it away from Billy.... It pounced on me and started to lick and bite... I hit it with the branch, but it wouldn't stop. I hit it over and over, but it kept coming, and...." Kim broke down completely; her trembling body going limp in Tommy's grasp.

"Tanya, Kat, go check on Billy. Rocky, Adam, make sure there aren't any more of these things lurking around," Tommy directed, "then gather our stuff up and get Billy in the stretcher; we're getting out of here." No one argued. The clearing reeked of death.

Tommy gathered Kim up and carried her over to the stream. She didn't seem to realize what he was doing as he washed the blood and filth from her body. Why hadn't they heard Kim's screams until the last second? They should have heard the creature's growls--the sounds of the struggle--long before they ever reached the clearing. Kim was shivering, goose bumps covering her skin. Tommy pulled her into his arms and rocked her gently. Slowly, her heavy gasps abated. Suddenly, she wrenched herself from his embrace and was heaving into the bushes.

"Take it easy, Beautiful," Tommy soothed.

"It was awful," Kim choked out, tears still trickling down her cheeks. "I was so tired from doing Billy, and it was so gross.... It was tasting me, Tommy! For a moment, I didn't know whether it was going to eat me or... or...." The other option was too horrible to put into words. "Where were you guys? Why didn't you come?"

"We never heard you; when we got close to the camp, everything was quiet--too quiet. I think the creature had the ability to somehow dampen sounds. That's probably why you didn't hear it enter the sick room," Tommy hypothesized.

"Tommy?" Tommy glanced up as Adam hurried up. "Everything's all set. Billy's strapped into the stretcher and ready to go. Tanya says he feels much cooler, like his fever's broken." He regarded Kim worriedly.

"She's in shock, I think; the scratches aren't too bad," Tommy answered his unspoken question. "Kim, do you think you can walk? We're leaving."

"N-now? It's getting dark out. We're not supposed travel at night," Kim protested weakly.

"I know, but this place isn't safe anymore."

With Tanya and Kat supporting Kim and the three boys handling the stretcher, the Rangers headed downstream, following the rising early moon. They walked until it reached its zenith. Once a fire was made, they all collapsed, physically and emotionally drained. So it was that Tommy found himself keeping watch by the fire, alone with his thoughts. Kim was curled up in a tight, shivering ball next to him with her head pillowed on his thigh. Tommy stroked her hair absently, occasionally sliding his hand down to caress her arm, side, and thigh. There was nothing forward in his touch, merely the desire to comfort and soothe, and slowly Kim responded until at last the tension left her body and the fear left her face.

~*~

Amadan watched the tender scene through narrowed eyes. Tommy the strength, Billy the intelligence, Rocky, Adam, Kat and Tanya the body, and Kimberly the heart... he had taken away the strength; mind, body and heart had compensated. He had damaged the body, but strength, mind, and heart had persevered. Struck down the mind (a bit of luck that the fire roses' toxic thorns proved to counteract the draco-wasp's poison--but with curious side effects!), and all the other parts continued to function. His gaze focused on Kimberly's tiny, trembling frame: the heart and soul of the group; through it all, she had held the team together. Amadan absently picked up a fruit from his plate as he considered his options.

So, littlest Ranger, it looks like it's your turn. I should have realized sooner that without the heart to provide the lifeblood, strength, mind, and body are nothing. The question is how to do it. These things must be done delicately. Even when your body was battered, your spirit remained strong. Crush your spirit, and....

The Keeper's fist tightened around the plump orb until its pulpy insides oozed between his fingers in red rivulets.

How, indeed. Turn your fears against you? You've mastered your claustrophobia. What else are you afraid of, former Pink Ranger? The strength of your desires, perhaps? Ah yes, your desires....

On to Part Five...

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