Chapter 4- A New Road

Kat smiled in awe as she looked out the taxi window as it passed several streets on the way to a hotel she had a reservation in. So far the sights weren’t too bad; in fact, to her Reefside gave off a kind of Angel Grove vibe.

“So miss, you new in town?”

Kat smiled at the cab driver. “Yes, I am.” She replied.

“Where from?”

“London. Although I had actually lived in Angel Grove years ago and before that I lived in Australia.”

“Cool. So what brought you back to the states?” the cab driver asked.

Kat thought for a moment. “Well, I guess I just felt that maybe some peace and quiet would do me some good.” She said.

“Well, I can tell you from my own experience: Reefside is a nice place. It may be like any other city, but it has a lot of interesting things. We practically have some of the best soccer clubs with some of the best players here. Plus, we even have our own guardian angels lookin’ out for us as well.”

“You mean…?” Kat asked.

“That’s right. Our own Power Rangers.” The cab driver replied.

Kat laughed. Somehow I’m not surprised. She thought to herself. Even though she hadn’t been a Ranger in years she had heard of many other Ranger teams defending different areas around California from the newspapers she would read while in London. While she wasn’t shocked about the fact that Reefside had it’s own Power Rangers she couldn’t help but feel a wave of memories hit her. Namely when she used the Pink Ranger powers for the very first time…fighting alongside the other Rangers…having a sense of belonging…trying to redeem herself for her past mistakes…

“Y’ know, it kind of sucks that Reefside’s airport was closed for repairs.” The cab driver remarked.

“I thought it was still under construction.” Kat replied.

“Pilots and flight attendants only say that not to freak other people out.” He answered. “According to my wife’s brother, who works over at baggage claim, there had been a monster attack. A creature calling himself Terrasaurus had attacked the airport and damaged one side of it. Luckily though the Rangers showed up and sent that freak packing. Unfortunately Terra-freak left a lot of damage in that area that would make flights impossible; they’re still doin’ repairs right now but let me tell you, buildings can be restored, lives can’t. If those Multi-colored guys hadn’t come to help, Who knows what could’ve happened?”

“I know what you mean.” Kat said reflectively.

“Ah, here we are.”

Kat then looked out the window and saw the cab turn towards the hotel she was staying in. The words DAYS INN were superimposed on the marquee.

“Thanks a lot.” Kat said to the driver.

“No problem.” The driver replied.

Kat then reached for her stuff in the left backseat of the cab, paid the cab driver, and headed off for the lobby carrying a backpack, a beachbag in one hand, and a bulging suitcase in the other. As she approached the front desk a woman greeted her.

“Hello. Welcome to DAYS INN. Can I be of help?”

“Yes.” Kat replied. “I have a reservation here under Hillaird.”

“Katherine Hillaird. Let’s see…” The receptionist replied as she typed at her computer. “Yes, you are in. Hold on for just a second.” She then went to the back, then came back to her desk carrying a pair of keys. “These two both open the door to your room. Of course you’ll only need one.” She chuckled. “Our pool’s open until 11 PM, and we have IHOP next door if you feel hungry.”

“Cheers.” Kat replied as she took both of the keys.

“Enjoy your stay at DAYS INN.” The receptionist said.

Kat smiled. “I’ll try.”

--

The second Kat closed the door to her suite she dropped her bags to the floor with a thud. She then collapsed on the bed like she was doing a backward dive off the board of a swimming pool. She then stretched her arms and legs all over the bed, relishing in its softness.

At least I won’t be sleeping on a chair. She thought as she sighed comfortably on the bed. She then snuck a peak at her watch, 1:33. Luckily she didn’t have to get to Cosmos for her interview until 3:30, so she could at least relax until 2:00. Hopefully by then she could get some lunch, hail a taxi and head there early. I’ll check out the rest of Reefside’s sights after that. She thought as her sapphire eyes fluttered and she drifted off into a nap. Before she went into a deep slumber she thought of what she might find here at Reefside and whether she’d do a good job teaching. That is, if she got the job.

Don’t be silly, Katherine. She thought to herself. Of course you will.

“If something’s not worth doing whole-heartedly, then it’s not worth doing at all.”

A small smile began to break across the corners of Kat’s mouth. It was almost funny how even after many years Tommy’s words of wisdom could still come to her and with that a feeling began to float in her mind. She couldn’t quite place it, but she somehow felt that she had made the right choice and just as she had great experiences in London, she felt that she would have incredible experiences once again in the States.

A/N: Man, if Kat only knew…Oh yeah, just in case some of you didn’t already know, Kat does NOT know Tommy’s in Reefside. And Tommy’s quote I had gotten from “I’ll be there” from the “Love is” series.