The rangers settled down on the boat in silence as they waited with baited breath to see what Kim and Tommy would do to each other. Several of them imagined an explosion, on at least one parties part, while others expected a semi-happy reunion. What they got was something that none of them thought they would ever see and several of them would recall in later years as the point where they knew just how much the two of them loved each other.
"Aren't you going to talk?" Kat asked as Tommy sat down on the bench next to her and he gave her a confused look. He had done enough talking over the last few hours to leave him hoarse and he just wanted to rest right now. The battle had taken so much out of him, but it had not been physically as much as it was emotionally. He had almost failed her, lost her, yet again and he did not like living with that on his conscience anymore. It was time that he stopped having to worry about losing her. "To Kimberly."
"She's asleep, I'm not going to wake her right now just for a talk," Tommy said as they all looked at him and he scratched the back of his neck from embarrassment. As soon as they had gotten back to the ship he had taken her into the back, fully intent on talking to her and setting things straight, but within moments of sitting down next to her she had started to drift off to sleep. He just hadn't had the heart to wake her, especially after knowing what she had been through recently. Being captured was one thing, but the fact was she was taking care of their child alone and that had to hurt her, as well as exhaust her. "I don't imagine she's been getting a lot of sleep lately."
"Why would you say that?" Justin asked as Tommy looked over at the boy and then around the table at the others. Adam was the only other person that seemed to be clueless and Tommy then soundlessly passed him the picture that Katherine had given him earlier that day, knowing that Adam would understand what it meant.
"You…you're…" Adam stuttered as Tommy nodded his head yes and he ran his hands through his hair. This was not something that he had thought would happen so soon in his life, but he couldn't turn his back now that he knew the truth. This baby deserved to have a father that loved him and he was going to do everything that he could to prove that love. "How are you taking this?"
"I'm happy," Tommy said with a smile as everyone's attention jerked to him. That had not been the adjective that most of them had thought would come out of Tommy's mouth upon finding out this news, many of them had thought he would resent Kim, but he seemed to be at ease with it all. One day, he might need an explanation, but right now he was just glad that she was safe and in a relatively good state after the day's events. "God knows how tough this has been on her and well…I could have done more, I could have gone after her, but I didn't. Yeah, we've got a lot of things to talk over, but he's still mine and nothing will change that."
"His name is Caleb," Jason said as Justin caught on to what they were talking about and gave Tommy a confused look. He was too young to be a father and with being a ranger that just seemed like it would be something that was against the rules.
"You have a kid?" Justin asked as Tommy gave him a rather embarrassed nod of the head yes.
"She doesn't know I know about him," Tommy said as Justin gave him a confused look. How could she not know that he knew about the child? Wouldn't she have had to be the one to tell him? "It's a long story Justin and right now all I want to do is sleep."
"I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you…" Jason trailed off as Tommy nodded that he had already thought about that. He desperately wanted that comfort of holding her in his arms again and knowing that everything would work out all right, that they would be able to get back to what they were before. He knew that it would be tough, but this was a step, everything was a step. "Go ahead then, none of us are going to stop you. I want him to have you in his life, even if it is only in the every other weekend sense."
"You know I can't do that," Tommy said as Jason nodded and watched as he stood and then walked to the back room where she was sleeping on the bed that he had slept on the night before. Liberating himself of his shoes, he crawled in under the covers next to her and was not surprised when she snuggled up against him and let out a content sigh.
"So you told him?" Jason asked as Kat looked down at her hands.
"Jason, please…I couldn't bear to see him in that sort of pain anymore and he deserved to know before we went out there today. If anything had gone wrong and he found out later, he would have never forgiven himself," Kat said as Jason nodded and she let out a frustrated sigh. "I know I probably ruined her plans, but…"
"It's all right, he deserved to know, especially with a chance of losing her," Jason said as Kat nodded and shook her head. "Yeah, I can't believe it either, to be honest with you."
"Have both of you seen him?" Adam asked as Jason and Kat nodded their heads yes. "How long have you known?"
"Several months, after she had him, I got the letter with the picture and when they got out here a couple days ago, I went and visited. He's a darling, no doubt that he's Tommy's," Kat said with a smile as she thought of the four month old boy that she had bounced on her lap only a few days before. She then let out an enormous yawn and rubbed her eyes in vain, trying to stay awake.
"I think all of you need to get some sleep," Jason said as they looked over at him. "You've all had a busy day, I can stand watch if you need someone to."
"Actually, we all should be able to sleep, it's going to take Divatox a couple weeks to regroup after that," Tanya said as Jason breathed a sigh of relief and they all walked into the room where they crawled haphazardly into beds and settled themselves.
"Umm," Kim murmured as she woke up to warmth enveloping her body and she forced her eyes open, to see who it might be. She was surprised as locks of brown hair clouded her vision and she forced herself not to gasp. She had never thought he would touch her again, much less hold her the way that he was right now. She wanted to watch him forever, afraid that when he woke up that this would be some cruel dream.
"Good morning," Tommy murmured as he felt her stirring in his arms and he smiled over at her. Her hair as sticking out at odd angles and she had bags under her eyes from lack of sleep, but she still looked absolutely beautiful to him. "You want to go up on deck and talk?"
"In a little bit," Kim sleepily said as she snuggled against him. "I've missed this."
"So have I," Tommy said as Kim smiled over at him and he ran his arm up and down her side. He could feel some changes in her body, but for the most part she was exactly the same as she had been the last time he had held her like this. At first she relaxed against him, but she suddenly stiffened when his hand ran over her stomach. He could not feel a huge difference, but it was enough to make her uncomfortable, enough to make her want to talk about it immediately instead of waiting. "Come on."
"I have some things to explain," Kim said as he nodded and sat down on one of the crates and she sat down not too far from him. "I wasn't completely honest in that last letter."
"I've figured that much out on my own Kim," Tommy said with a smile as she looked over at him. He didn't look mad, he didn't even look like he was going to be mad about anything that she said to him, including the pregnancy and the child she had hidden. It almost seemed as if he already knew and was just waiting to hear the words come from her mouth.
"Tommy, you have a son," Kim whispered as she looked down at the deck and the tears silently trailed down her cheeks. She knew that he was going to tell her how horrible she was, how he hated her, she just knew it. That was why she didn't expect to feel his lips crash down on hers in a kiss that reminded her of why she loved him so much. "Aren't you mad?"
"I could be, but…I can think of reasons why you did it and I can also say that I didn't come after you, although my heart told me something was wrong. If you'll let me be in his life, I'll do whatever you want me to," Tommy said as she stared at him and he gently caressed her cheek.
"I can't ask what I really want of you, Tommy. I lost the privilege of asking that sort of thing from you," Kim said as he gave her a look and he then reached over for her hand.
"I can ask, but only if you want me to," Tommy whispered as she looked up into his eyes and saw the sincerity and trust. He wanted her to tell him that she wanted to be his forever. He wanted to know that the ring that forever sat in his left pant pocket was not going to be a reminder that she had left him, that it was going to serve the purpose it was meant for.
"I want to love you again," Kim managed as she took in some shaky breaths while avoiding all eye contact with him. "But more importantly, I want you to love me again."
"I never quit," Tommy whispered in her ear before he gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I want to see him."
"First thing when we get home," Kim said as he smiled and then pulled her into a crushing hug. "Thank you Tommy."
"For what?" Tommy asked as his hands went up to her hair and she leaned into his touch.
"For not giving up on me," Kim whispered as he smiled and then pulled her into him. She knew that she might not be completely forgiven, but she was well on the way to that desperately needed forgiveness. She didn't know if she would be able to live her life without him, especially with the son that reminded her so much of him every day, but it was his choice and she had to respect whatever it was that she choose.