The Terran Rangers/X-Men, Heather Ray [best black authors .txt] 📗

safe, "I have another gift for you."

"You can't be serious!" cried Kat, walking to Kimberly. "You designed my gown, the bridesmaids' dresses, and even Tom's tuxedo, and you probably won't take a penny for them --"

"I don't want your money, Katherine," said Kim, working on the lock.

Kim pulled out a modest wooden jewelry box. She opened it to reveal a beautiful gold necklace with a large diamond at the bottom and smaller sapphires on the whole chain. There was also a pair of matching earrings, and a glittering tiara with a rather large diamond on the top.

"NO WAY!!"

cried Kat.

"You know how they say 'something borrowed...something blue'

, right?"

"Yeah."

"So this is 'something borrowed'

and 'something blue'

at the same time! Seriously, Kat, I'd really like you to wear these jewels when you walk down that aisle. I had them in mind when I designed your dress. They'll match perfectly!"

Kat peered into the box and took a closer look at the gems. Her jaw dropped.

"Kim, that's the jewelry you wore at your wedding!" she gasped.

"Yes," said Kim wistfully, turning away from Kat's gaze to look at the view of 5th Avenue from her window. Kat sighed and gently took the box from Kimberly. She placed it on Kim's desk and gave her friend a warm hug.

"I'd be honored to wear the gems at my wedding," said Kat quietly, "and I really appreciate all you've done for me. Frankly, I didn't think you'd be happy for us --"

"What do you mean?" asked Kimberly, pulling out of Kat's embrace and staring her friend in the eye. Katherine fidgeted under the piercing stare of Kimberly's doe brown eyes.

"Well," said Kat uncomfortably, "you and Tom were an...item

for years, and I know you still have, well, feelings for him..."

"Kat, don't be ridiculous! Tommy and I are friends! You know we were friends before we became an 'item' anyway. I don't live in the past."

"If you don't live in the past," said Kat, her voice growing colder, "why do you still call him 'Tommy'

? After all, no one else has called him that since high school! Admit it, you look into his hazel eyes and you see the young man you fell in love with fifteen years ago!"

Kimberly looked at Kat for a minute, her expression of hurt cutting deeper into Kat than any words ever could. Kat turned away and picked up the box which previously carried the wedding gown.

"I'd, uh, better get changed," said Kat, hurrying into the bathroom once again. Kimberly let out a sigh and sat at her huge desk. She swiveled her chair around, to look out the wall-sized window and stared blankly at New York City.

She's right,

Kim thought to herself, I do still love Tommy, er Tom. I think I always will. I hated myself for dumping him the way I did, but things just didn't work out between us. I am in love with Trevor, but I can't deny that Tommy will always have a special place in my heart.

Kim sighed again and leaned back into her chair. A beep from her phone brought her out of her reverie. She put the on the speakerphone.

"What is it, Mae?" Kim asked her secretary.

^A Mister...Thomas Oliver is here to see you, Ms Hart. Shall I send him up?^

"Uh, yes, Mae, thanks," said Kim, standing up. She walked over to the other side of her office, where the mirror wall was, and immediately started fixing up her eye make-up. She looked like she was crying, and the last thing she wanted was for super-sensitive Tommy to pick up on her sadness. She had just finished when there was a knock at the double mahogany doors.

"Come in," she called, taking her seat once again. A handsome man with short, dark brown hair, soulful hazel eyes, and a charming smile walked into the room. He was wearing black khakis, white dress shirt, and a deep green blazer.

"Are you two ladies ready for dinner?" he asked with a smile. He then looked around the room. "Uh, where's Katherine?"

"Right here, Luv," called Kat, stepping out of the bathroom and running to give her fiance a kiss. She had changed back into her blue suit. Kimberly looked away as the two kissed, staring at the jewelry box with her wedding gems inside. When the couple parted, she shut the box and rose to her feet to greet the former love of her life.

"Everything's set here," she said, giving Tom a quick hug, "but we still have to stop by at the house and pick up Anthony."

Kat went back into the bathroom and brought out the box with the wedding gown.

"You have to see this gown, Luv," she said placing the box on the carpet. "It's an absolute dream! Kimberly really has outdone herself."

"Wait!" Kim objected. "The groom isn't supposed to see the dress until the wedding. That way, he'll be totally taken aback when he sees you walk down the aisle!"

"How about my tux, then?" asked Tom. "When do I get to see it?"

"Oh, we can see it now if you like, but the same rules apply. Kat, you'll have to stay here when I show Tommy the tux."

"No problem," she said with a sweet smile, making herself comfortable on Kim's couch again. Kimberly took Tom's arm and lead him down the hall. Tom had to laugh.

"What's so funny?" asked Kim, letting go of his arm.

"You still love to drag me around by the arm, don't you?" he asked with a smile.

"Well, how else am I gonna get you to follow me?" Kim asked, looking up at his eyes. She quickly turned away and continued into her personal designing room -- which was a mess, with fabric, photographs, colored pencils, sewing materials, and fashion books littering the floor. In the back of the room was a tall male mannequin standing on a podium, wearing a beautiful white tuxedo, complete with dress shirt, vest, and shoes. The buttons on the jacket as well as the cufflinks were white diamonds, and the bow tie was the only non white part of the ensemble, contrasting the pure white with the blackest of black silk. There was also a delicate red rose in the pocket of the jacket, but it was an unearthly blossom, perfect and thorn-less, emitting a subtle reddish gold aura.

"Wow," said Tom, looking at the tuxedo. "Impressive job, Kim. I don't think I've never seen a suit quite like it before! I think I've seen that rose before, though. It's extraordinary..."

"Actually, it is," said Kimberly, pulling out the rose from the jacket pocket and placing it in Tom's hand. "Remember when we were both running for presidency in high school, and Rita cast a spell on us, making us super-competitive?"

"Yeah, I remember," said Tom, looking down at the rose.

"Well, the only way to break the spell of hate is with the magic of love, symbolized by the red rose. Zordon gave each of us a magical bouquet of red roses to break the spell on us. I...I kept them."

"Kim, that was ages ago!" said Tom, astounded by Kim's sentimentality.

"I know, but they weren't just any old bunch of flowers. They were, and still are, perfect. No thorns, pure red petals, soft as silk, never wilting, always alive and beautiful. Like true love. They'll probably last forever, just like true love. And I noticed the aura they emit kinda gives one a warm feeling inside, like a summer's day, or the sound of sweet music, or even a warm embrace. I felt it...fitting

to give it back to you, since you gave it to me. That's my wedding present. Now, be good to Kat forever, and cherish her, because true love is special and should last forever. I really want you two to be happy."

Tom's eyes misted over, and he smiled at Kimberly.

"Thanks Kim," he said quietly, "I will."

He gave Kim a warm, friendly hug and placed the rose carefully back into the pocket of the white tuxedo. He eyes then widened, and he slapped his forehead.

"Oh, I forgot!" he moaned, digging into his inner coat pocket. Kimberly giggled to herself. Tommy certainly hasn't changed much, she thought, watching him desperately search for something. He still is so forgetful, it's a surprise he remembers his own name!

"Here we go!" he exclaimed, taking a small package from his pocket. It was wrapped in pink and white wrapping paper, with a gold bow. "Well, I'd like to say first that I'm sorry we're getting married on your birthday, but February 14th is Valentine's Day, the most romantic day of the year, and Kat insisted. I wanted you to know that I by no means forgot your birthday, but I figured I'd give you your present a little early. Happy Birthday, Beautiful!"

Kimberly shuddered slightly at Tom's use of his old pet-name for her, back when they were in love. Nonetheless, she accepted the package, and opened it to reveal a gold lightning bolt shaped locket, hanging from a delicate gold chain. She opened the locket, revealing two small photographs, one of Trevor, and one of her young son Anthony.

Tom looked down at Kimberly and noticed a single tear streak down her cheek.

"Wanna talk about it?" he asked her gently.

Kimberly quickly composed herself, and put on the necklace.

"Thanks Tommy," she said quietly, smiling up at him. "It's perfect."

She started packing the tuxedo carefully into a cardboard box that was sitting on the floor. She gently placed the rose on top of the neatly folded tuxedo and taped the box shut. She lifted the box and handed it to Tom.

"We'd better get going," she said suddenly, "Katherine is probably wondering where we are."

Tom and Kimberly hurried down the hall, and found Katherine waiting patiently outside Kim's office, standing beside the box with the gown and the smaller jewelry box on top of it. The smile on her face fell as she saw that both Tom's and Kimberly's eyes were slightly red.

"What's wrong?" she asked, worry written all over her face.

"Kimberly just gave me a special wedding present and some good advice about love," he said quietly, taking Katherine's hand with his free one. "Now, shouldn't we get going? The four of us have dinner reservations at six."

Kimberly picked up the jewelry box and Kat lifted the box with the gown in it, and the trio made their way to the elevator.

Chapter Two

The year was 1997, and as the sun slowly rose over the horizon, its gentle rays peeked into the open window of the top floor apartment of a rather tall New York