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Disclaimer: Tommy Oliver and Kimberly Hart, plus anyone else in this fanfic, are the registered property of Saban Enterprises; no copyright infringement is meant by this, and I am not, nor do I desire to, making any profit at all on this. Author's Note: This fanfic, and others in the same 'romantic' theme that will be following were inspired by Rachel Dawson's Tablet of Ars Amatoria page, a fanfic page dedicated to some of the greatest Power Ranger romances {real and implied and fan-desired} of all time. Thank you, Rachel. This is the beginning of my "Rangers in Romance" series. In MMPR timeline, this takes place sometime after "White Light Part 2".

Our first date since he got his new powers, she thought to herself, almost skipping a little with delight as she twisted her hair into a short ponytail. Our first date in almost two months. I wonder if he's going to say it tonight. Though they had been dating for several months, and had kissed frequently, they had never said that they flat out loved each other. Kim was hoping with all her soul that tonight he would say those three words.

Excitement fluttered in her heart as she thought about it. It was almost like a real first date, and in some ways it was. It was their first date since his return not just to Angel Grove, but to the Power Ranger team itself. And Zordon made him the leader. Jason didn't seem very upset about it. I wonder if Zordon knows something we don't. . .for some reason she couldn't fathom, a tiny trickle of fear found it's way down it's back. Kim shuddered for a moment, then at the sound of a knock on the door snatched up a pair of post earrings, jamming them into her ears as she headed downstairs.

"I'll get it!" she shouted, hoping her little brother didn't try for the door. The last time he'd let Tommy into the house, it had been another two hours before they'd been able to go on their date, thanks to his incessant questions. She got lucky this time, however, and made it to the door first. She calmed herself quickly, trying not to look too rushed as she opened the door. "Hi, Tommy!" she smiled up at the tall young man, catching her breath automatically at the sight she was presented with.

Tall, with long dark hair held back now into a neat ponytail, dressed very nicely in a white suit with a dark green tie and highly polished shoes, Tommy Oliver, the White Ranger, was the very picture of a handsome young man. Kim could only wonder that somehow she had captured his heart. I love him, she thought happily. I will always love him. "Hey, beautiful," he smiled at her. "Ready to go?"

"All ready!" she grinned up at him in the darkening evening. "Mom, Tommy's here! I'll be back later tonight!"

Mrs. Hart's voice spiraled out of the kitchen where she was finishing up a few late dishes. "You two have fun!" she approved of her oldest daughter's boyfriend, and was glad to see the two of them together again. Kim had been miserable the last two months with Tommy gone visiting his relatives in the mountains. It was good to see her smile again.

"We will! See you later!" Kim was out of the door and heading for Tommy's car in her usual bounce almost before the door finished closing. Tommy chuckled a little as he joined her.

"It's good to be home again," he said quietly, slipping behind the wheel. "I've really missed you, Kim."

She smiled faintly, reaching over to pat his hand a little. "I missed you, too," she told him. "So, did you meet any cute girls while you were up in the mountains?" she teased. Tommy chuckled.

"Quite a few, but no beautiful ones like you," he replied, heading towards the restaurant where he'd made reservations for them. "You're one of a kind, Kim. One of a kind."

Goldar looked a little confused; he'd thought Zedd had gotten over his desire to possess the Pink Ranger already. Seldom did the master of evil maintain a plot once his initial scheme had failed, and this was unlike him in the extreme. "My lord?"

"Shut up, Goldar," the dark lord snapped. "This doesn't concern you. You already failed once at gaining me the Pink Ranger for my queen, I'm not going to let you screw things up again! Now get out of my sight! I've got plans to make and they don't include you!"

The simian warrior winced at the force in Zedd's tone, stepping back and bowing over and over until he was gone from the throne room. When Zedd got like this, he was always glad to simply escape with his hide intact.

Lord Zedd turned his attention back to Earth, his eyes flickering beneath his visor as he looked at Kimberly and Tommy. She is far, far more attractive than anyone else I have ever seen in all my days, he thought, almost purring the words even in his mind. And she wastes herself with that foolish White Ranger. I offered her the entire UNIVERSE, and she denied it. He corrected himself almost at once. That was Goldar's mistake. He is a warrior, not a mage, and knows next to nothing about how to cast proper spells. I should've done that myself. This time, I shall not be so careless.

A single glance to the heavens told him all he wanted to know. Tonight was Karvanoshu, a night of powerful conjuctive magic, a time when all of his powers would be multiplied a millionfold. Tonight it would be child's play for him to overrun the Rangers and take Earth for his own. But that would come in due time. He had something else in mind for tonight.

Raising his staff, he intoned the words that would endow his Putties with five times their usual strength and battle skill for this one night alone. As crimson light flowed over them from the tip, he was pleased to see them melt and reshape into an entirely new form. They were still humanoid, still Putties, but were now taller, with more defined muscles, and faintly glowing red eyes.

"Perfect," he nodded to himself, then gestured to the chief one. "Go down to Earth and bring me back the Pink Ranger," he ordered. "Do what you like with the White one, I really don't care, but I want Kimberly as unharmed as possible. Is that understood?"

He was actually surprised, though not much, when the Head Putty nodded, and spoke clearly. "It shall be as you command, my lord Zedd."

With a flash of teleportation light, the dozen MegaPutties, as he decided on the spur of the moment to call them, vanished from the throne room. Zedd leaned back into his throne, feeling very content with himself.

Tommy chuckled for a moment, looking down at her. "Boring? You've been saving the world on a very regular basis, and I'm supposed to believe things were boring?" Kim bent her neck backwards a bit to look up at him, and for a moment he was surprised to see a flash of fear in her eyes. "Kim?" he asked gently. "Did I say something wrong?" I don't know how I could have, I just said I didn't think things were boring while I was gone. ..what happened?

"N. no, not really," she said softly. "It's just. ..d. .did anyone tell you what happened just before you came back? Two days before I got your letter, actually," she could see from the curiosity and the concern in his eyes that no one had. "I sort of got kidnapped by Goldar. . ."

He frowned darkly at once. "What happened?" there was a note in his voice that said clearer and louder than anything if Goldar had done anything that the White Ranger considered 'inappropriate', he was going to do something fairly damaging to their nemesis'' chief warrior. As she slowly sketched out the details of what Goldar had tried, putting a spell on her to make her evil and Zedd's queen, she could see the anger slowly rising in his eyes. Luckily it hadn't worked, and Billy and Trini had rescued her just in time.

"Zedd has got quite a lot of nerve," he said, the effort it was taking to keep himself from shouting in rage showing plainly. "It sounds like you did a lot of good acting in there."

Kim chuckled a little as Tommy's tense shoulders began to ease. "Thanks. I couldn't imagine living out my life with Zedd. It's the most horrible fate I could imagine. .. "

"Oh, I dunno," Tommy teased suddenly. "What about spending the rest of your life with. ..Skull?"

The Pink Ranger playfully whapped at him in mock terror and he hugged her. "Spending the rest of my life with you was something more like what I had in mind!" she chuckled, cuddling a little closer to him. For a moment, they were so much in love and so much at peace it would remain in their minds for all time as a shining memory.

One that was interrupted a moment later by a powerful kick in the middle of Tommy's back, that propelled him halfway to his knees and Kim almost entirely off the roof. "What in the world?" they growled almost in unison, turning to see what it was that had so rudely interrupted their date.

Behind them there stood a round dozen of what could have been putties, if they had been a little shorter and less muscular. One in front had a true mouth, unlike the standard Putty, and none of them had the 'Z's that they were used to in Zedd's Putties. "What in the world are these things?" Kim wondered, jumping off of the top of the car and looking at the strange creatures.

"We are the MegaPutties of Lord Zedd," the one in front declared, shocking both of them with it's speech. "And we have been sent to bring his chosen bride to him!"

Kim groaned darkly at that. "Not only do we have talking Putties, we have Zedd who can't seem to take a hint that I don't like him!"

"Well, he's not going to--ugh!" Tommy's speech was cut off when the speaking Putty slammed a mighty tornado kick into his stomach. Kim started to run over to him, when a pair of Putties materialized behind her and seized her by the arms. She tried a move that had always worked before, flipping up to kick whoever was holding her with enough force to break their grip. She was vastly startled when the MegaPutties simply seized her legs in a hold she couldn't get out of.

"Finish him off, MegaPutties," the talking Putty said as he and the two holding Kim stepped farther away. "I am going to be returning this prize to our Master."

Tommy had just enough time to shout out a strangled 'no' before the three Putties and Kim vanished in a swirl of white and pink. If Zedd hurts her, if he TOUCHES her, I'm going to rip what skin he has OFF!

Then he was surrounded by nine other MegaPutties, and the very last thing on his mind was what he was going to do to Zedd. He had to survive this fight before he could do anything else.

Thankfully, survival was something that the White Ranger was very, very good at.

"Welcome to my throne room, Kimberly," he growled, his voice low and menacing. "It is so nice to see you again."

"Cut the crap, Zedd, and let me out of here!" she retorted, her hand heading straight for her wrist, intending to at least touch her communicator, since she sincerely doubted she'd be able to teleport out of here. When she felt only bare skin, however, her heart sank as memory from earlier in the evening flooded back. I took off my communicator and left my morpher at home! I didn't think I'd need them tonight!

The overlord only seemed to smile, though she couldn't be certain with his visor in the way. "Why would you want to go anywhere, my dear? You can have everything you've ever wanted here, and be a Queen besides."

"The only things I've ever wanted you can't give me!" Kim spat, backing away from him. She almost jumped out of her skin when he was suddenly behind her, his arms locked around hers.

"I wouldn't be so certain of that," he laughed quietly, then pointed his 'Z' staff at her. A pale rose beam of light shone onto the middle of her forehead, and Zedd watched with gleaming pleasure as her eyes slipped shut quietly, and Kim literally collapsed into his arms. He lowered her to the floor, continuing to bathe her in the pale light, watching as her ordinary garments of a frilly pink dress shifted into a long, glitter-sewn garment of purest night-black appeared on her. "Excellent," he nodded, stepping back.

Slowly, Kim's eyes fluttered open. Zedd was quite pleased to see them glowing a deep and almost demonic shade of red. "And how do you feel, my dear Kimberly?" he asked, watching as she made her way back up to her feet.

Kim looked at Zedd, and something that might have been a laugh escaped her lips. "I feel evil."

Even as the thoughts flew through his mind, he was leaping, punching, kicking, jabbing, and fighting with every movement that he had ever learned, and some he was convinced came from the greater White Ranger powers flowing through him. But none of it was doing any good against the MegaPutties, which seemed almost amused by his efforts.

"Fire!" he sensed the laser bolts flying through the air long before he saw them, and dropped like a stone, flat to the ground. He peeked up just in time to see the MegaPutties falling apart, literally, as lasers from all four sides hit them. I think I know what those are. ..I didn't know they'd kept them! Then again, why get rid of them?

As soon as the last of the MegaPutties had fallen, he sat back up, looking around to spy those whom he knew were there. Jason, Zack, Trini, Billy, he almost laughed to see the Red, Black, Yellow, and Blue Rangers coming out of the various hiding places they'd put themselves into. If he hadn't been so worried about Kim, he might have.

"Thanks, guys," he got back on his feet carefully, keeping an eye out for anymore of Zedd's little 'surprises'. "They were keeping me too busy to morph. And three of them took Kim prisoner. One of them said something about bringing his 'chosen bride' to him."

The other four leaped down to join him, the laser pistols that he and Jason had once retrieved to fight the Super Putties that Rita had made still in their hands. Almost as soon as they hit the ground, they demorphed, and there was no mistaking the look of sheer disgust on everyone's face once they heard what he had to say.

"Looks like Zedd's still up to that trick," Jason seemed to spit the words out. "But what were those things, I didn't think there were any Super Putties left."

"They were MegaPutties," Tommy clarified. "Zedd made them, I don't know. But we've got to get to the palace and get Kim back. I am not losing my girlfriend to Lord Zedd, and that's final!"

"How fast can you teleport me to the moon, Alpha?" Tommy's only thoughts were on the tiny Pink Ranger, and what Zedd might possibly do to her.

"Ay-yi-yi, Tommy, getting past the shields there won't be easy," the little robot told him. "And we don't even know where they took her! She could be anywhere!"

Tommy closed his eyes, his heart in his throat. "She's in the palace," he said softly. "Just get me there, Alpha. I'm just going to get her and come back. That's all I want to do."

Set the teleportation co-ordinates for Zedd's palace, Alpha, Zordon's voice was firm. Tommy, you must be careful, and you must go alone. The other Rangers must remain here in case of attack by Zedd.

Jason nodded, then turned to his new leader. "I know you'll bring her back safely, Tommy," the Red Ranger said. Implicit in his voice was the long friendship that he had shared with Kim, and the trust he had in the White Ranger. "And I pity Lord Zedd."

His friend smiled just a little, then turned as Alpha declared, "Teleportation co-ordinates set. Ready when you are, Tommy. You'd better morph before you go, we don't know if you can morph inside the palace or not."

The White Ranger nodded, reaching for his new Power Coin. "It's morphin' time!"

"Oh, this is so much fun!" she laughed richly, sounding nothing at all like Rita's harsh cackle, the only feminine sound that had been heard around this place in months. "How could I have ever doubted how very right the dark side is!"

Zedd had never felt happier in all his own evil life. He had a strong, fit queen at last, as Rita had been in her youth, and the Rangers were down by one. Soon to be down by two, once he dealt with the White Ranger. He knew that annoying boy was probably already on his way up here to 'get his girlfriend back'. Well, she's never GOING back. ..she's MINE forever!!

"Kim!" practically on cue, Zedd and Kim both turned at the sharp sound of the voice to see Tommy, in full morphed uniform, standing there, with his eyes wide and his heart full of anguish. "Kim, get away from him!"

Zedd smiled to the very best of his ability as he looked at Kim, who was looking at Tommy with nothing but disdain in her cold incardine eyes. "Why would I move away from my lord?" she asked smoothly. "I think you need to leave, White Ranger. I no longer desire you or your goody-good ways."

"Kim!" Zedd couldn't have planned that strike better himself. Tommy's face couldn't be seen beneath his helmet, but the dark lord could almost see the pain and anguish on it. Kim was simply perfect. "Kim, he's put some sort of spell on you. Fight it!"

She snorted. "You've got to be kidding. I love Lord Zedd now and forever!"

The very strength and soul seemed to vanish out of Tommy as those words fell on his lips. He staggered, reaching out to grab a pillar before he totally fell out. "No," he whispered. This just couldn't be. All the time he'd been at his uncle's cabin, he'd been thinking about Kim, and how to tell her at last how he really felt. He was hoping this would be his chance, this date, tonight. . .

White Ranger, he heard the voice pulsating in his brain, and sat straight up, his eyes bugging out under his helmet. It is I, Sabba. Do not trust your eyes. Trust your heart. Always your heart.

Sabba? His sabre? Tommy made a mental note to talk to Zordon about this; he knew Sabba could talk normally, but to speak telepathically? That was something that hadn't ever happened before! Granted he'd only had Sabba a couple of days, but still. . .

He stopped himself. He could argue with himself over it later. Right now, he had a girlfriend to free! "White Ranger, power down!" he snapped, taking a deep breath as the pristine armor fell off his body in a shower of sparkles. Zedd, Kim, and Goldar, still hidden in the shadows, watched in surprise as Tommy walked slowly over to the young woman he loved. "Kim, I know that the spell makes you think you're in love with Zedd, but you're wrong. And he doesn't love you."

Zedd thrust himself quickly in front of Kim, his staff back in his hand and the entire Chamber of Command pulsating a fiery red. "Get out of here, boy!" he commanded. "You're outclassed here, so just deal with it! Kimberly is staying with me!"

Tommy ignored Zedd, stepping around him to look directly into Kim's brown eyes. "Kim, Zedd is evil, you're not. You're good, like me. You're a Power Ranger, just like I am. You're the Pink Ranger, a warrior for good. You fight his evil, you don't serve it, and you don't let it rule you. He doesn't love you."

"What would he know about love?" Zedd growled. "He doesn't love you, Kimberly! He's never said it! He can't, because he doesn't!"

Kim was standing frozen in between the two of them. The weight of the spell on her was strong, but there was something about Tommy's warm and caring eyes that just looked and felt so right. . .

"I. . .I do love you, Kim," Tommy hadn't wanted to say the words like this, to break a spell. He'd envisioned that they would be alone somewhere, just the two of them, with the sparkling stars overhead to witness, not trapped in the stronghold of their worst enemy. "I've loved you for a long time now, and I know I should've said it before. . .but I just never could. Until tonight. I love you, Kimberly Ann Hart. I will always love you."

Zedd could feel the spell snapping, and growled even harsher than before as Kim's clothing suddenly shimmered back into what she had been wearing, and the red light faded from her eyes. "I love you too, Tommy," she whispered, throwing herself into his arms. "Let's go home."

"It's a beautiful night," Kim whispered, leaning against Tommy. "I'm glad I get to see it from this angle, instead of on the moon." Her boyfriend nodded, his arm tightened just a little bit around her. "So am I," he said. He looked down as she bent her head to look at him in that special way she did.

"Tommy, it's kind of funny. . .do you realize we might never have met, and really gotten to know each other, if it weren't for Rita and Zedd? If Rita hadn't made you her evil Green Ranger, then I wouldn't have felt comfortable being around you and still being a Ranger. I tried to date, after we got our powers, but it just never seemed to work out really well. I was too nervous about having to run off to save the world, and I guess it showed. But I don't have to worry about that with you. Even when you lost your powers, you understood."

He smiled, holding her a little closer. "I know, it is strange. Thanks to Rita, we got to know each other. Thanks to Zedd, I said I love you."

"I love you too, Tommy," Kim whispered, just loud enough for him to hear it. "I'll always love you."

Those were the sweetest three words Tommy Oliver, the White Ranger, had ever heard.